When is the Right Time to Quit Your Job?
We’ve all thought about it, analyzed it, and definitely fantasized about it. Who hasn’t considered quitting their job? We’ve dreamt of an alternate work universe where our talents are celebrated, the pay is long, the hours are short and none of our colleagues are too chatty, negative or lazy. For some of us, these are just the intermittent daydreams that float through our otherwise busy, happy, lives. For others, this is a major concern that wakes us up at 3am. When is the right time to quit a job?
If it was so easy, people would quit all the time, but for most of us, the reasons not to quit outweighs the risk of attempting to find our dream career. We’re too busy at work to have time to dig into what it is we really want. Some of us know what would make us happy, but we feel like it’s too late in life to make a change. What if no one takes us seriously? What if we can’t make any money? What if fail?
We have around 70,000 thoughts a day and 90% of them pretty much stay the same from one day to another. That’s why we keep doing the same thing day after day and year after year.
Einstein said, “No problem can be solved by the same level of consciousness that created it.” If you want to know if it’s time to quit your job, you need to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and start questioning your mind.
Try answering these 10 simple questions and tips to get you started!
1. Why do you want to leave your current job? Be honest with yourself and make sure you’ve tried to bring solutions to the problems.
2. Do you know what you really want to do next? Don’t run away from something that’s not working. Run towards something that you really want. Change is good unless it’s stopping you from fixing a problem that will keep recurring in your life. If you want to leave your job because everyone walks all over you, work on saying adiós to your people-pleasing tendencies. Otherwise you’ll start having the exact some problems in the next job.
3. Have you checked out the marketplace? You should be researching jobs online everyday and creating a spreadsheet of all of the companies and job ads that look promising.
4. Are you putting yourself out there? Networking and taking informational meetings is a great way to understand your options. Don’t be afraid to tell people that you trust that you are open to a change. You don’t have to know exactly what you want to do to start talking to people about your skills, interests and passions.
5. Have you thought about contacting a recruiter? Use your network to get connected to some great recruiters. They are in every field now and they are confidential. It’s a great way to get some free advice and maybe even learn about some new exciting jobs.
6. Would you consider seeing a career coach? Good coaches are popping up everywhere. If you can’t afford one, then try sitting down with a trusted friend and coach each other. You can take turns talking about your interests and any reservations you might have and see if you can find some solid solutions. This also works well with a trusted group of friends. Make it a career coaching party!
7. How much money have you saved? If you are considering quitting your job without having another one, you should have enough money saved to live comfortably for at least six months without tapping into your savings. Jobs are out there, but it’s not an easy economy. Enough money does not mean your 401(k); that is for your retirement and there are penalties and tax implications for tapping into those funds early.
8. Are you using your resume as your roadmap? Update your resume and take a good proud look at your accomplishments. You just might find that you have the skills and experiences that translate into the job that you secretly desire.
9. How long have you been at your current job? A good rule of thumb is to stay in every job for at least a year - but rules were made to be broken. If you’ve had longevity at most of your jobs and this particular one is the exception you can leave in less than a year as long as you can explain your decision. If you’re looking at your resume and realize you’re constantly job hopping, it's time to look at common threads, not just in those jobs, but in your way of thinking.
10. Have you considered just taking a few interviews? Even if you don’t know exactly what you want, interviewing with other companies is a great way to see what’s out there. You could find something that you like better, or you might decide that your current job isn’t so bad after all. It’s worth discovering if the grass really is greener on the other side.