Thinking about changing jobs?
Before you do anything drastic, Parity Consulting recommends asking yourself these five questions. They'll help you work out whether you need a new role or just a reset.
Changing jobs can feel like the obvious answer when you're frustrated, underpaid, or bored. But not every workplace frustration requires an exit strategy — and moving too quickly can land you in the same position with a different logo.
At Parity Consulting, we work with professionals who are weighing up their next move. What we've learned is this: the best career decisions come from clarity, not urgency.
Before you update your CV or start replying to recruiters, we recommend pausing and asking yourself a few honest questions.
1. What specifically isn't working for me right now?
Be precise. Is it the work itself, the leadership, the pace, the lack of progression, or something happening outside of work?
We often see candidates struggle to articulate what's driving their job dissatisfaction — and if you can't clearly name the problem, it's hard to know whether a new role will actually solve it.
2. Have I outgrown the role or just hit a tough phase?
Every job has periods that feel harder than others. In our experience, it's worth asking whether you're genuinely no longer learning or contributing, or whether you're reacting to a short-term issue that could pass or be addressed internally.
Sometimes a conversation with your manager is more valuable than a conversation with a recruitment consultant.
3. What would "better" actually look like?
More money is one answer, but it's rarely the whole story. We encourage our candidates to think broadly: autonomy, leadership quality, work-life balance, team culture, career progression, and workload.
If you can't define what better looks like in your next role, you risk chasing change for the sake of it — and that rarely ends well.
4. What am I optimising for right now?
Careers aren't linear, and neither are priorities. Sometimes it's professional growth. Sometimes it's job security. Sometimes it's balance.
One of the most important conversations we have with candidates at Parity Consulting is helping them get honest about their current career priorities — not what they think they should want, but what actually matters at this stage of their life.
5. If nothing changed in the next 12 months, how would I feel?
This is often the clearest indicator when considering a career change. If the thought fills you with dread, it's probably time to explore your options.
If it feels tolerable or even comfortable, the urgency might be emotional rather than strategic — and that's worth acknowledging before you make a major career move.
The bottom line
Changing jobs can be a powerful career move — when it's intentional. At Parity Consulting, we don't encourage professionals to move fast. We encourage them to move well. And that starts with asking the right questions about your career.
If you're considering your next career move and want expert guidance, get in touch with our team.
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Why partner with Parity?
We believe exceptional organisations are built on exceptional people. As an Executive Search, Permanent & Contractor recruitment agency specialising in senior and leadership roles in Product, Digital, Marketing, Transformation and Data across financial services and technology industries, we focus on unearthing talent who add to culture and performance while driving real business growth.
We connect these exceptional candidates with business leaders who need people to not just meet expectations, but exceed them - think of us as expert truffle hunters, uncovering the people who will truly make an impact in your organisation.