Ready to Quit Your Job? Ask Yourself These Questions First
You're on your last nerve at work, feeling like there is no alternative but to leave your job. Yet quitting is a big decision -- one of the biggest you can make in your career. Even though you may feel fairly confident today that finding a new opportunity is the best solution, it's important to be sure that you're really ready to cut ties with your current company, boss and colleagues.
How can you really tell that you're ready to quit? In many ways, it comes down to your answer to one question: Are you prepared to give up what's good about your current employment situation for the great unknown, at least temporarily?
[See: 10 Reasons to Quit Your Job Already.]
To help you gauge your readiness for job change, here are a few points to consider before pulling the trigger.
Are your frustrations permanent or transitory? It's easy to feel like throwing in the towel after a particularly upsetting incident, like a disagreement with a colleague, misunderstanding with your boss or a mistake on an assignment. But everyone goes through disappointments at work, and the further along you go in your career, the more obstacles you'll eventually face (and hopefully overcome). When you feel like quitting, ask yourself whether what you are experiencing is likely to be an ongoing circumstance or a passing thing. Situations that may be untenable include bullying or harassment, a toxic boss or colleagues, or a dysfunctional company culture that's not likely to change any time soon. Many other things that might make you feel like quitting are relatively temporary situations, if you can ride them out to the other side.
Have you tried taking a break? Sometimes you may feel like you need to quit your position when what you really need is a vacation from it. Overwork and over-focus on job-related challenges can push you to the breaking point, yet sometimes a simple gear shift can be enough to reset your perspective and adjust your attitude about your work life. Before deciding whether you really need to give notice, schedule some well-deserved time off first to see if it helps.
Are you considering the big picture? When you're experiencing problems at the office, you can quickly develop tunnel vision to notice nothing but your current woes. Yet if leaving is on your mind, have you thought about what you'd be giving up if you quit your job and employer? You might be perturbed by an annoying client or office politics with a specific department yet fail to recognize how valuable it is to have a supportive boss, flexibility to manage your schedule or a mentor within your organization. Be sure to fully consider both what you'd be losing by quitting as well as what you might gain.
[See: 10 Job Resolutions to Revitalize Your Career in 2016.]
Do you have enough savings? Emotions can blind you from thinking through practicalities, like paying the rent. While you may feel in your bones that your job is a poor fit, quitting without another job lined up can be a recipe for disaster when it comes to finances. This doesn't mean that stepping down is necessarily the wrong move to make, but timing is important. Be sure to set aside at least six months of savings (or more if you can) to provide a cushion for the possibility of extended unemployment.
Have you considered the consequences of a resume gap? A break in employment isn't always avoidable -- but it's important to consider how such a gap might affect your search for the next opportunity. Research has shown that it's easier to get a job when you already have one, and a big reason for this is that you're not unemployed with a resume gap to explain. While there are solid reasons that some employers may accept a "time out" during your career, quitting your job with little notice and nothing lined up won't go over well with recruiters and hiring managers. Again, timing is key; you may still ultimately decide to quit, but might want to take steps toward creating new opportunities while you're still employed.
Are you comfortable (enough) with uncertainty? The main thing to consider if you're determined to quit quickly, without another job in hand, is whether or not you're okay with not knowing what comes next in your career. It takes a leap of faith to leave the "devil you know" for an unknown future, even if that future might eventually lead to better things. Be sure that you're ready to hang in limbo for a while, whether it's to start a new job search from scratch, try to launch your own business or do some freelance work either temporarily or full time.
[See: 25 Awesome Business Jobs for 2016.]
At the end of the day, only you can decide when enough is enough. Taking the time to figure out what's right for you -- and understanding everything you might be giving up as well as how you might benefit from a job change -- can guide you to the right personal decision.
