Many of us feel like quitting a job at one time or another. A blow-up with the boss, an unfavourable review, change in management or a failed project can leave us feeling unappreciated and ready to jump ship.
When is it time to move on? Too many people stay in jobs they hate or positions that offer no chance for advancement. If you’ve done everything you can to make your current job work, and you still feel discontented, it might be time to consider your options.
Before we list some good reasons to leave your current place of employment, we offer two pieces of advice:
- Think it through and don’t act rashly. The short term relief you may feel when you leave a job that doesn’t suit you won’t pay your bills or feed your family. Unless you have decent financial resources and can afford to quit, your old job might not seem so bad if you find yourself still unemployed after a hasty exit. Before you go, crunch some numbers and make a plan.
- Regardless of the circumstances, always act with integrity and professionalism when you leave a job. Resist the urge to stand on your desk and announce your departure, vowing never to return. Close this chapter in your career with dignity and in the spirit of maintaining good relations. You’ll be glad you did.
It might be time to leave when:
1. Your job is making you sick
If stress levels at work are so high that your physical or mental health is suffering, you need to do something. Seek advice from professionals and make a serious attempt to develop and use good stress reduction tools. If it remains too much for you to handle, then a different job, with a different level of responsibility may indeed be your best option.
2. Your values don’t match the corporate culture
Your company has a top-down management style and you’d rather work where your input is welcomed. You think the annual employee satisfaction survey is a waste of time. You feel micro-managed and the bureaucratic environment rubs you the wrong way. Unless you know there’s a chance of being a catalyst for change, it’s probably best that you move on. No matter how well you think you may be hiding it, your dissatisfaction shows, and your attitude and performance suffer.
3. You’re not challenged or are under employed
Perhaps you’ve outgrown your job. If you feel unchallenged and need more responsibility but don’t see any opportunities for advancement, then going elsewhere seems like the logical move. Before you go, however, reexamine the possibility of adding value to your current job – look for potential opportunities, volunteer to tackle the ugly project no one else wants to touch, talk to the powers that be about taking on more demanding work. You might just find you can build your own future by becoming more engaged and be willing to work outside the box. (Editor’s note: read more on how to do this in our article on being an intrapreneur.)
4. You’ve received a better offer
This one seems like a no brainer, but before you accept an employment offer, think carefully. A salary increase may come at a high price. If there are aspects of your current employment that mean a lot to you – autonomy, great satisfaction from helping customers, wonderful working environment, for example, weigh the value of these against the offer. Remember, when interviewing for a new job, you are interviewing the prospective employer to see if you want to work there, just as much as they are interviewing you. Try to get an idea of the culture and how other staff likes the environment before you sign on the dotted line and make your exit announcement. A big salary can feel small in a hurry if the new climate is not right for you.
5. You’re in a toxic work environment
It’s hard to believe there are actually workshops offered and books written on surviving a toxic work environment, but it’s true. If favouritism, nepotism, questionable work ethics, bullying and poor management cause you to pull the covers over your head on Monday mornings, think it through.
You should never stay in an organization where your ethics are out of sync. Make sure you’re not contributing to the chaos by missing work, disengaging, gossiping or acting in an untrustworthy manner yourself. Take it one day at a time, keep your head down and do your work as you quietly plan your departure.
Finding a job you like adds five days to every week.
– H. Jackson Brown Jr.