Jobs

I’m weighing the options in my executive job search – step down or wait?

Elaine Varelas provides guidance on the pros and cons related to taking a step down in your career or waiting for a more suitable opportunity.

Ask the Job Doc. Boston.com

By Elaine Varelas

3 minutes to read

Q.  I’m a senior level leader and I have been looking for a new job for about five months. The only thing that looks like it may materialize at this point would be a step down for me. Is it worth taking the step down to get a job or should I wait until something better comes along?


A.  For a senior leader and executive, five months in a job search is not a significant amount of time. Most people are unaware of how long a job search can take. You are at the top of the pyramid and these jobs are not as plentiful.  In addition, the interview process is typically longer and involves more people. When you say “take a step down” what does that mean? Are you talking about the title? Are you talking about money?  The number of direct reports? Level of responsibility? There are a host of questions that need to be asked and the answers won’t be the same for each person.

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Taking a lateral or downward step can often be a highly effective tool for the person and for the organization. For example, a CEO might take a position as a COO, in agreement that the current CEO will be retiring in 18 months and the succession plan feeds into your promotion in that new position. No one would question why you would take that kind of position as it would be beneficial for you to get more insights into the organization and additional expertise as you moved into that role.

If you were taking a “step back” into an organization that was significantly larger than the company you had come from, the scope of the responsibility might in fact be greater than the role you’re currently in, even though the title might not be the same. So be less concerned about what feels like a step-down and be more concerned about the scope and the responsibilities of the job. Also, consider that a lower-level position may also offer better work/life balance if that matters to you. 

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In a position like this, a meeting or two with a career consultant could be worthwhile.  A good career coach can help you identify what matters most to you, how effective you are in your job search, and how to explain to others what you decide to do. A question you might be asked is “it’s been X number of months – why don’t you have a job?” You can say I was waiting for my dream job, or I had an offer I turned down, but your role is exactly what I was looking for. Whatever you decide to do, be prepared to explain your decision, as it reflects your decision-making process to the questioner.

When you try to identify something better coming along, what does that mean? The content of the job is what should be the most important to you. Or is it just the title? Titles can be remarkably meaningless as they change from organization to organization. The answer to this question can also be supported by a career consultant.   I encourage you to take a deeper look at what the responsibilities are in every role.

Recognize that it may be another five months before a “better offer” comes along. So, one of the questions that you would want to find out more about with the jobs that you are looking at is what the opportunity for promotion will be. Or if the visibility might make you more marketable on the open market. If it’s a significant financial down step, you want to look at how long it would take you to recognize that level of earning power again. If you can afford to wait and can continue searching, it might make sense to wait for a role you are excited about.

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