Dan J. Harkey

Master Educator | Business & Finance Consultant | Mentor

Finding Another Job is Stressful: An Employee's Point of View.

It is natural to feel overwhelmed when considering leaving, especially when the easy option seems to be staying in a company quagmire. Recognizing this can help you feel understood and less alone in your decision-making process.

by Dan J. Harkey

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Summary

Some employees chose the “burrowing” strategy, which has definite appeal compared to the cold, chaotic world of modern recruiting. It’s the professional equivalent of staying in bed because it’s cold when you get up.

However, that “company quagmire” often comes with its own hidden tax.  Recognizing this can help you feel more empowered to weigh your options between staying put and jumping ship:

 1.        The Cost of “Burrowing.”

 While it feels safe, staying in a stagnant or toxic role can actually be worse for your mental health than being unemployed, highlighting the need to assess whether your current role supports your well-being.

 The Performance Dip: Stagnation often leads to a lack of motivation and more mistakes, which can eventually put your “secure” spot at risk.

  • Market Erosion: The longer you stay in a quagmire, the more your skills may become outdated, making a future exit even harder. 
  • Change is Constant, and The Speed is Accelerating at “Light Speed.”
  • You can be a front-loaded innovator or a laggard—your choice.

  • Laggards chose mediocrity and a group mentality. 

  • Front-Loading innovation requires risks of failure and setbacks.  That is why only a small fraction of people chose that path.

2.        The Stress of Searching

 There’s no sugarcoating it—job hunting is a grind. 

 The “Mental Health Crisis” of Hunting: Up to 97% of job seekers report high stress, and 40% even report clinical symptoms like anxiety or Depression.

Many professionals are choosing to stay in their roles longer, a trend called The Big Stay, which reflects a shift in how stability influences career decisions.

 Interestingly, your “stay put” instinct aligns with a current economic trend called The Big Stay.  For the first time in a decade, wage growth for people who stay at their jobs (4.3%) is slightly outpacing that of those who switch (4.1%).

The middle ground?  Using the stability of your current role to apply for new jobs while employed can help you feel more hopeful about your future, giving you a stronger negotiating position because you don’t need the next offer to survive. 

 Reflect on whether your current role still offers growth opportunities or if it’s genuinely a dead end so that you can make a more deliberate and confident decision about your next move.