New job offer, cold feet?

So you have accepted an offer for a new job, fantastic! But now you're having second thoughts, overthinking things and wondering whether you've made the right decision. What should you do?

Firstly, don't panic!

Making a move to a new company isn’t always going to be easy. There are a few factors that could affect your transition or even derail the move altogether. 

It's not uncommon to start having some doubts and second thoughts once the initial excitement of being offered a new job has faded, but the answer to whether you're doing the right thing for you is exactly that - down to you! You are in complete control of your decision at this stage, so try not to panic or make any rash decisions you may later regret.

Speak to someone about any reservations

One of the issues that can creep up that derails a move is getting cold feet!

You have, in mind, committed to a move, but suddenly reservations creep in… you’re doubting whether you have the capabilities to step up into your new role or perhaps you feel bad for leaving your current employers.

In this instance, the most important action you should take is to speak to someone; a close friend, family member or your recruitment consultant (yes, we are here to advise and help) about your concerns and feelings - it is always better to voice your concerns out loud then keep them bottled in! 

A good recruitment consultant will always listen, advise and then ask you to think about why you initiated a job search in the first place. These are just gentle reminders of why you considered leaving your current employer in search of a new one.

Have confidence

You should have the confidence in your abilities to fulfil the position offered.

Think of it this way, assuming you interviewed with your potential new employer (including passing any assessments/case studies) and after careful consideration, they offered you the position.

They made that decision without in fact knowing your full capabilities - that’s got to be a boost!

Feeling guilty about leaving

Feeling bad about leaving your current employers is certainly a common reason for getting cold feet. 

Your current employers have invested in you, trained you and helped your career to date so it’s only natural you feel uneasy for leaving them.

But remember why you initiated your job search in the first place. Have you given it your all at your current firm and feel there’s no room to progress further? Your line manager cannot fault you for being ambitious, in fact, a good line manager should be supportive of the move.

People come and go in your life, but your career is yours to fully take control of!

Counter-offers

Another issue is the potential of your current employers giving you a counter-offer to consider. I won’t go into too much detail around how to deal with counter-offers, but for more information, do have a read of the article: 'Consider the consequences of the counter-offer'.

Trust in yourself and your decisions 

If you have fully credible reasons as to why you have made the decision to leave your job and accept the offer, then you should have confidence that this is the right next step to make.

Working with a recruitment consultant? It is important that you continue to keep us in the loop with the process so we can be of most value to you. A good consultant will act as a sounding board and will never try to force you into taking a job that you don't want. 

Prepare before you start your new job

It's a good idea to prepare for your transition to your new firm before you begin.

Start connecting with new colleagues on LinkedIn, and stay in regular contact with your consultant and new employer for any queries surrounding the move.

 And quite importantly, leave on good terms with your current employer!