Four Signs It’s Time to Leave Your Data Science Job
Four tell-tale signs that you should look for another job
I see it too often: people stay in the same job far too long than necessary. Staying in the same place can stagnate one’s skills and compensation, which is definitely far from ideal.
In this article, I will discuss four tell-tale signs that you should probably look to move on soon.
The offer from the new company is just too good
Even if you are super happy at your current place, there is nothing wrong with speaking to recruiters and other companies that really interest you. Interviewing is a skill, and practising even if you are not planning on moving is not a bad idea.
Ryan Peterman, a staff software engineer at Meta, wrote an article on why you should interview at other places even if you are happy with your current role.
His main arguments are:
- It can give you confidence that you are in the best place for you.
- Looking for a job when you need one is the worst time to look because you are anxious and not in an abundance mindset.
- You apply for fewer roles and ones that genuinely interest you.
- You are not going to over-prepare, saving you time.
- Keeps your skills sharp and lets you know what you are missing.
Another valuable point is that you may get a job with an offer you can’t refuse. Sure, you are happy, but statistically speaking, you could always be happier, right?
I am not saying to jump ship whenever. Make sure you stay somewhere long enough to deliver impact and actually be able to say you did excellent work. This varies by company, but it’s often at least a year, preferably two years.
However, if you are offered something that is just too good to pass up, then go for it! You will know in your gut if it’s the right choice.
You are miserable in your current place
If you despise your current role or company, then move. If you dread every working day, that’s not a good sign.
Unhappiness is caused by many things, the type of work, hours, your colleagues or boss. Whatever this is, it can be changed.
If everything else is good apart from one thing, you should endeavour to fix that issue at your current job. For example, if you are struggling with a colleague, try to reach an understanding and work things out.
Work-out-able stuff should always try to be fixed before you plan on moving, especially if it’s just one thing that’s making you miserable. However, if it’s a culmination of stuff, then moving is often your best bet in that scenario, especially if you are unlikely to solve it like culture or senior management.
People will say “moving is hard” or “easier said than done” when you tell them to look for new jobs. I am going to be a bit controversial and say some tough love, but yes, you are right. Looking for new jobs is hard, and many people stay where they are despite being unhappy.
I am still very young, and maybe I’m naive, but I’d rather spend months looking for a job I really like than risk being stuck for years, perhaps even decades, in a job I hate. Sure, it’s more work in the short term, but then that investment will give you years of a job you really like. Sounds worth it to me.
You are not learning or earning
There is a famous saying that you should either be “learning” or “earning” at your job, preferably both.
- Learning — You should ideally be developing your skills and becoming a better professional. Looking back year on year, have you grown and become more proficient? If yes, you are learning; if not, you are not.
- Earning — Earning the right amount or more for someone with your experience, skill level, and abilities compared to the market. It’s not abnormal for people to be underpaid, especially if they have been at the same company or job for a long time.
The ideal scenario is that you have both, and in that case, as I discussed earlier, there is no reason to leave unless the offer is just too good for you to reject.
If you are not getting both, then it’s a no-brainer. You should leave, even if you are happy, which chances are you are not because you are not getting those two things which are fundamental pillars of any job.
The trickier bit is in the middle, where you have one but not the other. At this point, it becomes a very personal discussion. It depends on the extent of how bad or good one is to the other.
If you are getting paid good money but feel like you are not learning, this is easier to fix. You start by asking your line manager to assign you certain projects or maybe even move teams within the company to increase your learning and skillset.
If you have the capacity, you can also learn in your spare time and make an effort to implement that in your day-to-day work. The main point is that companies have no problem with employees wanting to improve in their roles and are happy to accommodate this.
If you are learning but not earning, this is harder and more political. I find money an unnecessarily taboo subject, particularly in the UK. So, I recommend opening up a dialogue with your manager about this.
Be honest and do your research to show that, given your experience and skill level, you think you are getting paid below market rate. If recruiters are contacting you offering your £X amount, mention that and say you want to stay but feel you are underpaid.
You shouldn’t feel awkward about this; at the end of the day, this is your livelihood, and you should be firm but reasonable. In most cases you can reach sensible agreement and it’s always worth asking.
From this report, you can see that job changers on average more and than people who stay at their job. So moving jobs is often a viable strategy if you want more money.
Job changers and stayers, understanding earnings, UK - Office for National Statistics
There is no obvious growth
The final one is where you don’t see how you will progress, or there are no clear guidelines for moving up the ranks. You ideally want to advance in your career, and the company should have a clear framework for this.
It, of course, varies between companies; an established tech firm will have more structure than a startup, for example. So it’s essential to take all things into account.
This one is also reasonably solvable most of the time. You can ask your manager, head of department, CTO even about this issue, and it will likely be resolved because it’s also in their best interest.
What you are mainly after here is feedback on areas that you need to improve to reach the next level for someone at your position and rank within the company.
However, if this doesn’t happen, you are kind of directionless, which is dangerous for you career. Your abilities and skills may dwindle over the next few years as you could be working on the wrong things, and that’s not a fortunate position to be in.
Summary & Further Thoughts
Leaving your job can be scary and risky, but what’s riskier is staying in a job that underpays you and you don’t enjoy. Taking the leap is not as bad as you think; most of the things we are scared to do are worse in our minds than in reality.
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Four Signs It’s Time to Leave Your Data Science Job was originally published in Towards Data Science on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
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