With salary review season upon us, many people, especially in the world of accountancy, will be weighing up their options. Should you stay put, push for a raise, or is it time to look elsewhere?

While money is an important factor, it shouldn’t be the only reason to change jobs. A career move should be about long-term satisfaction, growth, and professional reputation – not just financial gain.

If you’re considering a job switch, there are many important factors to bear in mind before making your decision.

Why Do You Want to Leave?

Before signing on the dotted line to move, take a moment, step back and reflect on why you began looking for a change in the first place. Was it a lack of career progression? A toxic work environment? Do you feel undervalued? A higher salary is always appealing, but if core issues remain unresolved, you will quickly become dissatisfied again.

Career Growth

As tempting as a big paycheck is, remember to ask yourself if the new role aligns with your long-term goals. Take time to consider the company’s culture. What are the opportunities for progression and training? Will you learn and develop new skills? If career growth matters to you, a move must take you towards your ultimate aspiration, rather than stepping sideways – or even backwards – purely for financial gain.

The Risk of a Counteroffer

A common but risky strategy people adopt when they are unhappy with their salary is to use external offers to negotiate a raise with their current employer. If you are testing the market to leverage a counteroffer, think again. While it might seem like a win, it can seriously damage your professional reputation.

In my experience, employers often see counter offers as a temporary fix and may not prioritise your career development in the future. Furthermore, unless money is your sole motivation, the reasons why you want to leave will still be there.

Work-Life Balance

Money can’t buy a good work-life balance. Does the new job offer flexibility in terms of remote work or hours that fit your lifestyle? A pay rise may not be worth it if it comes at the expense of your well-being and personal time.

Training, Development & Support

A great salary won’t mean much if your career stagnates. Does the new company invest in employee growth? Look at the opportunities for mentorship and professional development, and whether the role will help you build new skills that open-up new opportunities.

Do Your Values Align?

Work is a major part of your life, and job satisfaction often comes down to more than numbers on a pay slip. Ask yourself: Does this company’s mission resonate with me? Do I respect its leadership? Does the business empower and value its people? A misalignment in values will quickly lead to dissatisfaction, no matter how attractive the salary is.

Make the Right Move for the Right Reasons

I believe that, wherever possible, the decision to change jobs should be strategic, not impulsive. If money is your only motivation, you are going to find yourself job-hopping throughout your career as soon as the excitement of a new role fades.

In the end, the choice is yours but whatever you decide, I urge you to consider the full package: career progression, work-life balance, company culture, long-term fit, and salary.

Most importantly, remain professional. Not every job offer is right for you, but the accountancy world is small, especially in the North East, and how you conduct yourself in negotiations and transitions can impact your future opportunities.

Think long-term and choose wisely.

At this time of year, my work and life tend to become especially hectic, and I don’t think I’m alone.

For many people, the nearer we edge toward the sanctuary of a well-earned festive break, the more this most wonderful time of the year transforms into one of the most stressful.

Whether it’s linked to the pressure of sales targets, the financial year-end, or the need to lock down new budgets and plans, the calendar’s end never fails to instigate a deep desire in people to clear any outstanding jobs and tick them off their list before they can even begin to contemplate relaxing.

This year, when you add into the melting pot two years of constant change, irregular holidays, the blurred work-life boundaries created by homeworking, and the pressure of organising a magical Christmas at home, it is all too easy to see why December and January are the months that carry the highest risk of people burning out or losing the enthusiasm to work for their current employer.

What can you do to help yourself?

A certain level of stress may be unavoidable but, even if you are working long hours, burnout is preventable.
Firstly, there are some common warning signs you should look out for, including an increasing number of errors at work, higher than usual levels of anxiety and worry, being constantly tired, or becoming disengaged and moody.

If this sounds like you, then it’s time to sprinkle a little bit of joy back into your life. Start by stepping off the daily treadmill, even if only for a short time, to look after your health and well-being:

• Exercise

Not only is exercise good for physical health, but it is also good for mental health and gives a positive emotional boost.

• Eat Well

Eating healthily and, if possible, including foods in your diet that act as natural antidepressants, like those rich in Omega-3, can also help to lift your mood.

• Get some sleep

Resting your body and resetting your mind is essential for your welfare, and that means getting into a healthy and regular sleep routine.

• Ask for help

During stressful times, it’s so important to reach out for help when you need it and share your problems instead of burying them and letting them build.

I know it’s not easy – and I need to take a lot of this advice myself – but these four widely accepted pieces of wisdom should help to navigate you safely to the Christmas break.

If you still feel unhappy, however, the holidays also offer the momentary pause you need to reflect, and I would start with four key questions; where you are, what is important to you, where do you want to be, and are you happy with the balance between home, family, work, and time for yourself.

They are big questions, so you must be brave and honest with yourself. If you struggle, try chatting openly with family and friends, and thinking about what makes you truly happy. The answers to what you do next won’t be far away from there.

Personally, I like to use the downtime Christmas brings to be with my family and plan for the new year by creating lists and setting new goals and routines. This helps me to be clear about what it is I want to achieve in the coming months and how I plan to make it happen.

This year, I have a feeling it could lead to introducing and sticking to some new work-life boundaries, but whatever it means for you, don’t be afraid of change. It is always better to try something new than settle for something that doesn’t make you happy. Not many people regret making a choice, but plenty regret doing nothing at all.

There can be any number of reasons to kick start a new job search but, whatever the trigger, the most important thing to do is to understand your motivation for change.

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