Five Reasons To Find a New Job

By Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com Editor







You've
been thinking about it for awhile now -- it's time to get a new job. So
what's the hold up? Here are five reasons why there's no time like the
present dust off that old resume and start looking for a new job today.

You'll Stress Less
These
days, work and stress are synonymous. A 2006 survey by ComPsych
Corporation found stress is rampant in the workplace. Fifty-five
percent of workers said they have high levels of stress with symptoms
of extreme fatigue and feeling out of control. Another 42 percent said
they have constant but manageable stress. That's a lot of headaches.

What's
the biggest cause of all this tension? The study cited "People issues"
as the No. 1 work stressor, followed by workload and work/life balance.
It's proven that stress can harm your mental and physical health, so
save yourself by finding a new job.

You'll Advance Your Career
Take the next step up that proverbial ladder. Workers may have more negotiating power with employers than they think.

Fifty-five
percent of hiring managers surveyed for this year’s Employment Dynamics
and Growth Expectations (EDGE) Report said it was difficult to find
qualified candidates 12 months ago; 81 percent said recruiting is
equally or more challenging today. More than half of hiring managers
who are having trouble recruiting cited a shortage of qualified
professionals as the primary culprit.

You'll Make More Money
All
signs point to fatter paychecks. Nearly two-in-five hiring managers
plan to increase starting salaries in the next year to attract new
talent, according to a CareerBuilder.com and Robert Half International
survey.

Plus, the Department of Labor reports annual
compensation costs (what employers spend on wages, salaries and
benefits) for civilian workers increased 3.3 percent for the year ended
September 2006, compared with a 3.0 percent over-the-year increase for
September 2005. And, average hourly earnings increased from $16.28 per
hour in October 2005 to $16.91 in October 2006. Take advantage of this
knowlege and use it in negotiating your new starting salary.

You'll Get Better Benefits
Although
economic pressures are increasing, employers are becoming more
committed to offering more and better benefits packages to attract and
retain talent. In the same CareerBuilder.com/Robert Half report, 30
percent of hiring managers reported their firms have instituted new
policies and programs to increase staff retention rates in the last 12
months, up from 23 percent this time last year. The primary measures
taken included offering pay raises, bonuses, better benefits and more
flexible schedules.

In addition, Prudential Financial's study
"Employee Benefits: 2006 & Beyond" looked at current and future
employee needs and how employers plan to respond to them. The study
found that eight in 10 employers say it's important to offer and
subsidize a wide range of employee benefits. Be prepared: Although more
companies are offering more diversified benefits, workers may see more
costs shifted from employer to employee, especially in voluntary
benefits.

You'll Have More Time
Isn't it time you
improve your commute? Fifty-nine percent of workers surveyed by
CareerBuilder.com admit to experiencing road rage while traveling to
and from work. With 128 million commuters in the United States that's a
lot of road rage.

And it seems your commute is only going to
get worse according to "Commuting in America III" by Alan Pisarski
published by the Transportation Research Board. The average national
travel times grew to 25.5 minutes in 2000, up from 22.4 in 1990 and
21.7 in 1980. That time is increasing even though more people are
leaving for work between 5 a.m. and 6:30 a.m to beat rush hour. Find
something closer to home, or better yet, become one of the 4 million
Americans already working from home.


Kate Lorenz is the
article and advice editor for CareerBuilder.com. She’s an expert in job
search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.