Survey: 20 Percent Plan To Move Jobs This Year

For 20 percent of workers, finding a new job may top their list of New Year's resolutions.

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According to a CareerBuilder.com survey, 48 percent of workers planning to leave their current positions in the next 12 months are looking a job with better pay and or career advancement opportunities. Eleven percent is electing to change careers, 9 percent are retiring and 6 percent plan to start their own business.

The study also shows that this may be the ideal time to look for new opportunities as a shrinking labor pool has employers struggling to find qualified labor and implementing more competitive recruitment efforts. Nearly half of employers plan to increase salaries on initial offers to new employees. Looking at key job factors that influence job satisfaction and company loyalty, workers reported the following:

Pay: Thirty-three percent of workers are dissatisfied with their pay. Twenty-six percent of workers did not receive a raise in 2006. Of those that did receive one, one-in-five were given an increase of 2 percent or less. Sixty-seven percent of workers did not receive a bonus.

Career Advancement -- Thirty-five percent of workers are dissatisfied with career advancement opportunities provided by their current employers. Eighty-five percent did not receive a promotion in 2006 and 26 percent felt they were overlooked.

Work/Life Balance -- Twenty-seven percent of workers are dissatisfied with work/life balance. Forty-five percent report their workloads have increased over the last six months.

Training/Learning -- Thirty-three percent of workers are dissatisfied with training and on-the-job learning opportunities provided by their current employers.

When applying for new positions, workers say the most important attributes they look for in employers are:

• Good career advancement opportunities -- 23 percent
• Company's stability and longevity in the market -- 23 percent
• Good work culture -- 20 percent
• Ability to offer flexible schedules -- 11 percent

Three-fourths of workers say they will pay more attention to health benefits offered by employers than in the past.

"January is one of the busiest job search months of the year as workers put their New Year's resolutions into action," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder.com. "Job seekers may have more negotiating power as employers offer sweeter deals to fill productivity gaps and headcount quotas impacted by the Baby Boomers' exit from the workforce. Bigger paychecks and promises of career advancement and flexible schedules are expected to be offered on a wider scale this year."

Although 68 percent of workers say they are satisfied with their jobs, some are always on the lookout for a bigger, better deal. For those searching for new opportunities in the new year, Haefner recommends the following:

1. Recharge Your Resume -- List out your accomplishments for the year. Update your resume with bullets highlighting how you specifically contributed to the company, quantifying results when possible. Employers may scan your resume for a number of seconds, so you need to capture their attention quickly.
2. Offer Up Ideas -- One of the best ways to stand out in an interview is to show the employer that you're already thinking like an employee. Offer up ideas for the position you're applying for -- how you can increase sales, improve productivity, enhance customer service, effectively promote a new product, etc.
3. Investigate Your Worth -- Forty percent of employers say they currently have open positions for which they can't find qualified talent. Prepare yourself for salary negotiations by investigating compensation ranges for your title and experience in your geographical area via online resources such as CBsalary.com.
4. Build Your Network -- Having a warm resume placed on an employer's desk by someone who referred you tends to get noticed. Build or update your network. Include colleagues, friends, relatives, neighbors, vendors, etc. Keep in touch by sending news articles they may be interested in, tips for a great golf coach or other interests. The key is making the relationship mutually beneficial.