Signs It’s Time To Quit Your Job

Change is painful… Growth is painful…

But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere we don’t belong…

The world is grappling with a pandemic, opportunities are few and far between, the sane advice is to tread with caution. This is the logical view of the world, the practical view requires that you take active control of your career and make necessary changes to continue being on a growth path. The pandemic will end and when that happens missed opportunities will be a matter of regret. This makes it imperative to analyze your current situation and to plan for the future.

Jobs come in all flavors, and this leads to possible situations of discontent and some times even dissatisfaction as well. If we look at the broader picture one considers a job change for one of the following reasons:

1. Career aspirations
2. Work culture
3. Personal reasons

We will discuss these in detail in this article. Starting with what we can classify asCareer Aspirations:

• If your current job offers little or no growth opportunities
• If the organization is not growing and has little to offer in terms of remunerative growth
• If the work is not challenging you and thus is not offering new learning opportunities
• If you are in a very small department of a company, and this department is just a support function

Then it may well be prudent to look for options outside. Working your way up is arewarding journey and it is up to you to make it work for you. We would recommend you have regular discussions with your seniors about possible growth and what you have to improve at for getting the next promotion. This way you will have new challenges that can drive learning and growth for you. If these discussions do not give you confidence in getting growth in your current organization then consider looking for options outside.

Work culture is the next biggest reason for considering job changes. Whereas thegrowth angle was a positive reason for looking out, work culture most often than not is a negative reason to jump ship. When you find negativity in the workplace,when there is lots of politics and favoritism in your workplace, or when you cannot speak up for yourself then it is time to consider a change. You should feel confident and comfortable enough at work to voice your opinion, share your thoughts, and speak up for yourself. An oppressive environment will never give you space to learn and to perform. It was famously said by Peter Drucker “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”. Be very watchful of your organization’s work culture, influence it positively, and if it turns toxic be bold enough to move on.

At times we have personal reasons for moving on – your health or the health of an aging parent may require you to relocate from your work location. You may be interested in further education and that may propel you to take up a different job that offers some time for studies. It is possible that you have discovered yourcalling and the current job does not speak to you. All these are valid reasons and are critical for your mental and emotional well being. Taking an informed decision for the above reasons will set you free and will help you to grow as an individual.

Changing jobs is often done on an impulse and that is what we would try and dissuade you from. Identify a valid reason, work towards what you want, and grow in life. Your job-related decisions should be governed by these thoughts and not by impulse. Stay positive and look at the bright side we all have so muchto achieve – a happy career is one of the things to look forward too.