Do You Really Know Why Do You Want To Change Job?

Today on ADPList, I mentored a lady who had been a QA Engineer for ten years before transitioning to an Agile Coach/Scrum Master (SM) two years ago. Now, she's considering another career switch to become a Product Owner (PO).

👉 She began by telling me that she finds her current job unfulfilling. On the one hand, the company’s leadership doesn't support Agile mindset and Agile development methods. On the other hand, the development team doesn't fully accept her work as an Agile Coach. Additionally, the Product Owner is practically hands-off, leaving the roadmap and prioritization to her as the Scrum Master! I was shocked 😂. If the PO isn’t doing his or her job, the SM’s role isn’t to do it for them‼️ but to coach them to do it properly‼️.

Today, I want to use this example to share my thought process on switching jobs. Hopefully, it will inspire you 🙋‍♀️.

1️⃣ When you're unhappy at work and considering a job change, I recommend first clarifying your motivation before deciding‼️

You’ll likely be asked about this in interviews too. So ask yourself first:

Why do I want to change jobs? Why now? Why this particular switch? What exactly do I want to change the most?

🌟 Don’t let the superficial trigger overshadow the fundamental desire.

For instance, this lady switched from QA to SM and now wants to be a PO. The immediate reason is that she’s unhappy doing PO tasks with an SM title, so she wants to officially become a PO. ⚠️ However, the root cause is that despite all the extra work she’s doing, she hasn’t gained the team’s or leadership’s acceptance and recognition.

Her switch from QA to SM was motivated by a desire for more recognition and to make a more significant contribution to the team. I think even if she switches to PO now, she still won’t be happy because the core problem hasn’t been solved.

Of course, if she genuinely feels she’s better suited to being a PO, then changing roles is perfectly fine.

2️⃣ After clarifying your motivation, I suggest setting a short-term goal🎯 and testing whether certain actions can change your current situation.

Once we discussed and identified the root of her issues, the next step was setting a short-term goal and taking actions to make a change.

🎯 Goal: Within three months, have the PO take on his/ her responsibilities and gain support and recognition from her supervisor and the team.

🌛 On one hand, clarify the roles within the team. As a SM, she can organize a "Roles and Responsibilities" workshop to delineate what the Product Owner, Scrum Master, front-end/back-end developers, and testers should do, and what the processes should look like.

🌛 On another hand, actively seek feedback from team members and supervisors. Why isn’t she getting support? Why isn’t she being recognized? Whether it’s to clear up misunderstandings or correct mistakes, she needs to stop dwelling on her assumptions and fantasies‼️. Don’t just assume the team dislikes you or the boss doesn’t support you. Verify first, then decide whether to accept or change the situation.

🌛 Strengthen communication with the PO, listen to their pain points and reasons for not doing their job, and try to understand and empathize to find common ground. If that doesn’t work, directly communicate with her supervisor or have her supervisor communicate with the PO’s superior to reach a consensus on the next steps.

3️⃣ During this period, it’s crucial to review and reflect on whether your actions have brought changes in your mindset and tasks.

For instance, within three months, the lady might face one of the following situations:

1. The expectations of each team member regarding their roles are openly discussed, and everyone performs their duties. As a result, her work as a SM is recognized and accepted by the team, and the internal pain points are resolved. She focuses on her SM role and feels happy, with no reason to become a PO anymore.
2. After no longer taking on PO tasks, she may feel like something is missing and realize she is indeed more suited for and interested in being a PO. In that case, switching roles to become a PO would be a logical next step. After all, SMs focus on people and processes, while POs focus on product content—there’s a significant difference.
3. After three months of trying, she might feel exhausted, not receiving constructive feedback, unable to reach an agreement with the PO, and realizing that the recognition and acceptance she seeks cannot be fulfilled in her current environment. In that case, she must leave this environment, and whether she continues as a SM or moves towards a PO role needs further clarification.

Of course, I don’t know the exact details of her surroundings or team dynamics, as a mentor session is only 40 minutes. My role is to raise the issue, clarify the problem, offer different solutions, and leave the remaining steps to the mentee.

You might think, "If you want to change jobs, just do it—why bother setting short-term goals and experimenting?" After all, time is 💰. However, given the current job market pressures, blindly exiting without clear motivation carries significant risks.