Q MY FATHER, 54, is a branch manager of a local supermarket chain.

He has just been offered a job by a rival chain. It is an agonising decision for him as he believes that there is no turning back once he accepts the offer.

As he plans to retire within six to seven years, he is averse to such turbulence in his career. What should he do?

A THERE are always push and pull factors in making a career switch. They might involve issues over pay, location, corporate and people culture, career mobility or altered lifestyle goals.

Your father should consider the factors that might have kept him in his current job if not for the pull factor of the offer by the competitor chain. If the reasons to stay outweigh the ones to go, he will be able to assess his position more clearly when making his decision.

At 54, he is likely to be agonising over it as there might be no turning back if the new job turns out differently from what was outlined during the job interview.

Your father should find out more about the new job and the company itself before making a decision. How mentally and financially prepared is he to quit within a short time if after joining the company, the new job does not work out?

It might help your father in his thinking process if he considers his last performance review with his current employer.

An open discussion on his career goals for the next five to seven years might help in managing his and the company's expectations. It might provide greater clarity in terms of how the current employer values him.

Every decision to leave a job involves taking a risk. Making a well-informed decision - through background checking and not making assumptions - will lessen the risk of failure.

However, no decision is mistake-proof, so be prepared to find alternative pathways should the need arise. Life is about choices and consequences. Success is knowing when to let go and when to hang on.

Christine Sim
Senior director (Regional)
KCS Executive Recruitment Services

Advice provided in this column is not meant as a substitute for comprehensive professional advice. E-mail questions to a1admin@sph.com.sg.

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