Having a good job entails many things, but one of the most important is the people that you work with on a day-to-day basis at the office. You may have developed a strong relationship and attachment to your coworkers and may have made some good friends that you hang out with outside of work. What happens when your best friend at work leaves? Should you follow them?
When the people you like the most at work leave, it can be a hard transition. You may feel like things will never be the same and feel that the new person they hire to fill in their position may not be as great. If your coworker is your best friend and they’re moving on to a better job, you should be happy for them. You shouldn’t hold them back and insist that they stay just so you can keep yourself happy at work. Secondly, if they ask you to follow them, you have some serious things to consider.
Following a coworker to a new job has it perks. There’s the prospect of working in a new work environment already knowing somebody. You’re already guaranteed to have someone to confide in at the new workplace. Aside from that, you must consider your own career. Moving onto a new job is the right move for your coworker, but is it the right move for you? Consider the fallout of leaving your job behind. Is this new job offering you the same position you already have? Will you be able to move forward with your career at your new job? It could be that as this new job moves your coworker’s career forward, it may be holding yours back. You need to do your research on the new job and consider all the positives and negatives.
Consider the process of going for a new job. This means you have to prepare your resume and do a job interview. It could have taken weeks or even months for your coworker to find this new job. Ask yourself if you’re willing to go through that hiring process again for this job. Also, think about your current job. Is it worth leaving behind? It could be that your coworker’s absence may actually help you at work because it shows that you’re able to adapt and give the same amount of great work output despite the absence of a close colleague.
When your best friend at work leaves, it’s not the end of the world, although it may feel like it for a bit. This is an opportunity for you to grow as an individual and learn to adapt to major changes in your workplace. It makes you stay more focused on your own career and realize where you want to be. If the only good thing about work was your coworker than you know that it’s a good time to move on considering how everything else makes you miserable. If you stay and realize that you’re just fine without them, then you can move forward with your career.
Have you ever followed a friend or a coworker to a new job? How did it work out? Share with us in the comments section below!
IMAGE: Courtesy of Flickr by DavidSpinks
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