Generally speaking, pretty much all of us think about a job or career change every now and again. However if you occasionally flirt with the idea of changing  jobs, but never ever get past first base of doing anything meaningful about it, then there are probably a few key reasons why you won’t change jobs or leave the company you work for. We’ve outlined  4 key reasons why below:

You’re institutionalised
Putting it bluntly, you’ve been with the same company or worked in the same role for so long that you actually fear change. Not too dissimilar to the movie The Shawshank Redemption, you fear what else is available to you on the outside – we’re not necessarily saying your job is like being in a prison mind you! Therefore you won’t change / quit your job because, like a good blanket, it offers you comfort and familiarity.

Change isn’t always good

You recognise that the “grass isn’t always greener on the other side” and from experience have watched other colleagues complain about their jobs, leave for a new one and then regret it for years to come. You understand that every job has its ups and downs and you’d prefer the comfort of your current job and company (even though the comfort ain’t always there). You understand that if you were to leave or change jobs, it might offer a quick fix, but it might not offer the long term career solution you were looking for.

You are comfortable
Nothing wrong with this reason at all. The truth is that your job is just your job, and your career path is just an after thought that happens to come up when in personnel reviews, meetings, or chats with the family. You’re comfortable in knowing that you have job stability, and that’s as much pressure as you want in terms of your job, life and career.

Work life balance is key

You might have the drive and passion for job change, career development, or change of company, but the reality may be that you need to stay where you are due to the work life balance that it offers. Measuring how much impact a new job or change of company culture may have on not just you, but your whole family or lifestyle is an important consideration. Much like the other three reasons, this might be a reason why a job change never or rarely happens.

If you are thinking of changing jobs, you might like to take a look at our career directory for inspiration.