Estimated Runtime: ~7 minutes
The average professional will change jobs ten to fifteen times in their career.
Every move is either an acceleration or a detour. The difference comes down to
one word: intentionality. Smart career moves are strategic. Reactive career
moves are expensive.
Move toward something, not away from something. Green flags: you've stopped
learning, there's no upward path, you've accomplished what you came to do, or a
significantly better opportunity appears. Red flags: you're running from a bad
week, you haven't been there long enough to show results, or you haven't
explored internal opportunities first. The worst career moves I've seen were
reactive — someone had a bad quarter, got frustrated, took the first thing
available, and regretted it six months later.
How you leave matters as much as where you go. Give proper notice. Create
transition documentation so thorough that people are impressed. Thank people
personally. Never, ever badmouth your previous employer — in interviews, on
social media, anywhere. Your industry is smaller than you think, and your
reputation follows you everywhere.
This completes Module Nine — career growth and advancement. You now have systems
for performance reviews, career development, leadership, and strategic moves.
Module Ten brings it all together — your lifelong career management system.