New year, new job? Resolve to search seriously

Experts say be deliberate in deciding what you want and how to achieve it

By Eve Tahmincioglu

msnbc.com contributor

updated 4:22 p.m. ET Dec. 30, 2007

Eve Tahmincioglu
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When you ring in the New Year tonight and decide in your excitement to make some resolutions there is one you shouldn’t include: Finding a new job.

I know, it’s one of your biggest goals, but resist adding it to a list of resolutions you’re probably never going to follow through on in 2008.

Only about 15 percent of such resolutions have long term success, says Stephen Kraus, author of “Psychological Foundations of Success: A Harvard-Trained Scientist Separates the Science of Success from Self-Help Snake Oil.”

“People don’t really come up with a plan for executing their New Years resolutions. They just think, ‘I’m going to make big changes this year,” he explains.

Right around this time of year, recruiters start to get lots of calls from disgruntled workers looking for something new.

Indeed, Jeff Wittenberg, a partner with recruiting firm Kaye/Bassman International Corp., sees a noticeable uptick in people calling him for help; and he finds the candidates he contacts are more receptive to his solicitations and return calls more often right after the New Year.

But often the employees aren’t clear on why they want to leave their existing jobs, and seem to be more reactionary. “Maybe they had a bad day, or didn’t get the raise they wanted,” he explains. “But they need to be more clear on why they want to make a job change. Is it just a BS motivation, reacting to a blip on a radar screen?”

Finding a new job or career takes lots of planning and shouldn’t be fueled by emotion.

“If you really want to take your career to the next level it has to be more than ‘I want 10 percent more money’ or ‘I hate my job,’” Kraus advises. “You have to figure out what really inspires you.”

And figure out your strengths. “There’s a lot of research out there that suggests very successful people really know their strengths and play to those,” he maintains.

He suggests checking out authentichappiness.org, which offers a free tool called “Test of Signature Strengths”.

Wittenberg, the recruiter, actually asks the individuals who contact him: “Why are you interested in making a change?”

“If you don’t clarify your motivation then you run the risk of leaving for another job that’s just like the job you left,” he adds. “You’re jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.”

CONTINUED : "You just end up on different grass"

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