Our quality of life is usually determined by the quality of choices we make.  For us professionals, we've made decisions that affected our careers, some have made us better and some we regretted. 

It is hard for me to write about this topic where one can easily dismiss the article as propaganda that we need to be loyal to our company.  While there may be some spin into that, the purpose is far from it as I merely try to share my personal thoughts when I was confronted by the question several times in my corporate life -- to leave or not to leave.

I have moved companies eight times in my 20 years in the corporate world.  I am not ashamed to say that a couple of these decisions didn't turn out the way I expected them to for various reasons within and beyond my control.  I console myself with the fact that I have learned a lot even if I have made some wrong detours in life.   

As a result, when I am confronted with the question, I take out my self-made grid of questions culled from years of trial and error and apply it to myself.    I'm sharing this in this space as a reminder that the grass is not always greener on the other side.  At the same time, we can also be limiting ourselves if we stick to our comfort zones and not explore.

A. Job Specific

1.  What is my job description in the new job I am taking?  Can my future supervisor articulate the job description, what I am accountable for, the metrics which the success of this position can be measured, how can I make an impact or significant contribution to the company?  If your potential manager cannot articulate this, your position may not be as important as you would expect it to be.

2. Will I have an expanded role compared to my current job?  Am I merely doing a lateral transfer to another company?  As the new company is also trying to court us to join their team, a job can be packaged very neatly in the same way that we also try to package ourselves as the Solution to their woes.

3.  Does the new company allow me to deepen my competencies and skills or are they paying me to do a high-level maintenance job?  I am always attracted by the degree of difficulty and challenge a job presents.

4.  What are the culture, environment and working conditions?  This is one of the most important, IF NOT the most important question I ask and find out because my success is oftentimes dependent on the infrastructure (or the lack of it) of the company.  Will I be transferring to a better company or a mediocre one pretending to be a better company?  A bad environment has made or broken a lot of careers.  Remember that a fruit bearing tree planted in the wrong soil does not bear fruits but rather dies a painful death.