Maybe you've been watching the clock more often and counting the hours until the end of the workday. Perhaps you're feeling the sting of losing a promotion, or wondering whether your superiors are taking your hard work for granted. Or maybe you're just hungry for a new challenge.

Whatever the situation, changing jobs, whether moving to another department, company or profession, is a reality of the modern workplace.

Before you rush into a voluntary job change, take some time to develop a strategy to help make sure you land a better job than your current one. This article can help you assess whether it's time to make a move, look at your options should you decide that it is time, and answer a few common questions:

• How can you change jobs without being financially penalized?
• How do you continue to have insurance coverage during and after your move to a new employer?
• What should you do with whatever retirement money you have coming?