Are you a job jumper?
I used to be and it didn’t work out very well for me. I left a good job because I thought the grass would be greener. Three moves later I was miserable and in a dark place in my career. In order to pivot out of the career death spiral I was in, I had to make some major investments in self-improvement and personal branding.
For me, job hopping led me down a bad road.
Lebron James was once accused of being a job hopper himself when he left the Cleveland Cavaliers to go to the Miami Heat. He made a major announcement of stability yesterday in a time of turmoil for his organization.
ESPN’s Chris Haynes announced, Lebron James will not waive his no trade clause for any team during the 2017-18 season:
No matter the reconstruction of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ roster, no matter the potential for heightened inner turmoil, no matter the win-loss record, and with or without Kyrie Irving, LeBron James will not waive his no-trade clause for any teams at any point during the 2017-18 season.
Speculation began to arise regarding Lebron’s future with the Cavs the second news broke that star point guard Kyrie Irving had requested a trade.
In a time when so many people leave their job the minute it gets hard or things start to go wrong. Instead, Lebron sent a message of stability to the rest of the organization and their fans.
True leaders step up and make big moves when times get tough for their organization. They do so by honoring their commitments.
I’m not advocating for a linear career path (Lord knows I haven’t had one). Let’s face it, hardly anyone stays with an organization for their entire career anymore. Even LeBron left Cleveland to go the Heat to upgrade his career and market value.
But he did it at a time when his contract had expired and he made it clear that he intends to honor his current contract with the Cavs. The move he made enhanced his skill sets
The lesson we can learn from Lebron’s declaration of loyalty to his organization is to only make moves when there is a clear path toward enhancing your career. Don’t make an emotional decision on your future when your organization undergoes a setback.
I did and with each move I made things got progressively worse.
So before contemplating your next career move, always make sure you have made the most of your current opportunity.
Always jump at opportunity but never just job hop! Sometimes the best career move is not making one at all.