Should You Quit Your Job?

“Should I quit my job?” It’s a question that has passed on every employee’s mind at least one time in their career. If you are reading this article then there’s a big chance that you are currently thinking of whether or not to call it quits. Quitting your job isn’t as easy as handing out your resignation letter. It takes a lot of careful thinking, planning and courage to take this step on your career. Don’t let emotions get in the way of your critical decision. Take a moment to reflect and reconsider things before finally making the step that will change your work life. Here are some things you might need to think about.

What makes you unhappy at work?

Does getting up to go to work every morning makes you feel miserable? Do you now feel anxious and unhappy?What’s changed? You now hate your boss? Do you not get along with your colleagues? Do you feel that you are overworked and underpaid? These are all valid reasons on why you feel so unhappy and low on morale. Instead of focusing and digging into your hatred, try to understand your situation. You might discover underlying reasons why you started hating your job. Step back and re-assess where you want to be in your career, that way you’ll be able to make a better decision and take a course of action other than quitting.

Instead of focusing and digging into your hatred, try to understand your situation.

How long has it been?

Have you always been unhappy or is it just recently? Ups and downs are bound to happen at work. Sometimes, hard situations can be really stressful and difficult but may be worth riding out. For example, if you are working on difficult and time bound projects, it might eventually improve within a few months as you complete the task. You might just need to hang in there and wait for the dust to settle.

On the other hand, there are situations that never improve even if it had been some time, like permanent changes in organizational structure or toxic work environment. It could be that your job is just a bad fit for you. Being under enormous amount of stress for a long time is very taxing both physically and mentally. If you’ve never really been satisfied and unhappy from the beginning and there’s nothing that you can do to make your situation any better, then it’s probably time to leave. 

What to do?

Before you decide to end your job with your company, have you ever tried to work things out with them? If not, ensure that you’ve confronted problems directly and did everything to find possible solutions in order to improve your job situation. If you feel unmotivated and you feel that your efforts have been unrecognized, seek out feedback from your supervisor. They might not have noticed that you are prepared and wants to move up the ladder. If you’re overloaded with responsibilities, try talking to your boss on how to better organize and prioritize your workload. Communication is vital to every relationship and oftentimes there are just some misunderstandings between parties. Take the initiative to talk with your company about your concerns and resolve things. Sometimes, voicing out your concerns and finding the right solution is easier than having to start over from square one somewhere else.

Another thing you can do is to list down the pros and cons of leaving your job, which can help you get a broader perspective of your current situation As you go along with your list, ask yourself these questions: “Are you prepared for a potential pay cut?”, “Do you have enough savings to support your self until you get a new job?” “Does leaving your current job give you more growth and peace of mind?”

If you’ve finally decided to jump and make the change, be prepared. Set new goals for yourself and your career. What are you looking or expecting on your new job? Do you already have another job waiting for you? If not, make sure that you have enough savings to support yourself until you get a new job. Be mentally prepared to accept if the step you took is not the right one. Transitions can be stressful and may not turn out the way you’d expect it to be. 

Lastly, remember the golden rule of never burning bridges. Business communities are well connected and people talk to each other. Your new company will be seeking recommendation from your previous one so it’ll be good for you to exit gracefully and professionally.

Be mentally prepared to accept if the step you took is not the right one. Transitions can be stressful and may not turn out the way you’d expect it to be. 

Choosing whether to quit your job or not is a difficult decision to make and requires some serious reflection. If you end up making a move that doesn’t feel right, look into the brighter future get yourself back on track.