Changing jobs during COVID-19

thomas_

What are your thoughts on changing jobs during COVID-19?  I’m facing an increasingly hostile and micromanaged work environment and I’m just tired of it.  Also, I feel like I’m underpaid for my area.

The current work environment and pay situation have me seriously consider jumping ship.  My biggest fear is getting offered a job with a firm start date and putting in my two weeks, only to be told that the new position is cancelled and being stuck without a job.

JDMurray

Yes, job requisitions can be very "ephemeral" in the present situation, especially in the USA with nobody knowing how the economy will be affected by the results of the upcoming presidential election. Requisitions can be cancelled (to save money or because a contract was not awarded), frozen (to wait and see), or reassigned to a different department (possibly in a different geographical location) at anytime during the hiring process. Those situations have always been a possibility when changing jobs, but may be more likely to happen now.

If you get an offer that you can't resist, and you have vacation time saved up, you can delay giving your two weeks notice until you are actually working at your new job and on your old job's vacation time. If your old job won't grant you your vacation time, you at-will yourself on the spot and you are 100% done with them. There is no law enforcing that you must give two weeks notice--especially in an at-will employment state.

Of course, you can be laid off soon after you come on board your new job too, but that's always a possibility at any time for new hires (i.e., "last in, first out"). You just have to make sure that you are prepared for that eventuality.

That Random Guy

thomas_ said:

What are your thoughts on changing jobs during COVID-19?  I’m facing an increasingly hostile and micromanaged work environment and I’m just tired of it.  Also, I feel like I’m underpaid for my area.

The current work environment and pay situation have me seriously consider jumping ship.  My biggest fear is getting offered a job with a firm start date and putting in my two weeks, only to be told that the new position is cancelled and being stuck without a job.

This is a valid concern and while I would like to give some wise advice, all I can say is that I was in your spot 2 months ago and I decided to take the leap of faith.

I guess it all depends on how certain you can be that they'll be willing to take you in with open arms all things considered.

What I can suggest is that you ask during interviews about why the position is being filled. Depending on what they say, this can give you a good idea of why they want you on board. It could be for reasons in light of the sudden change in status for everyone (I got a response like this in one). It's not exactly something I'm comfortable with asking during an interview but when you have nothing left to lose, it becomes very easy to do.

In truth, life is just too random to say "yes, this job is a certain thing" even before COVID.