Quitting Jobs: How to Know When It’s Time to Go and Helpful Things to Consider

We all have times when we’re really dissatisfied with our job and think about quitting. In fact, a record 47.4 million people voluntarily quit their jobs in the US in 2021. That’s huge! Quitting jobs that don’t align with ones needs and goals is quite common at the moment. This period has even been dubbed “the Great Resignation.” So more than likely it’s a topic that hits home.

As frustrating as work life can sometimes be, most stay at their job because the positives seem to outweigh the negatives. Or there don’t seem to be any alternatives. But how do you know when it’s time to change?

By staying with your current employer, you might be missing out on opportunities for growth or better pay? Maybe you’re foregoing benefits like better work-life balance.

In this post I present 8 signs it might be time to move on to another opportunity. I also cover 8 things to consider when changing jobs.

8 Signs It’s Time to Move On

1. Your job is not helping you to realize your potential

It’s human to want to grow and flourish. One sign it may be time to change jobs is you feel stuck – like you’ve outgrown your position. Things are stagnant and you’re not advancing – neither personally nor professionally.

Here are some questions to help you reflect on this point:

• What would you like to accomplish professionally? Is your current role helping you to do that?
• Do you feel like your job is challenging?
• Are you able to learn new things?
• Are there real opportunities for advancement such as being promoted or participating in interesting projects?

2. Your environment limits your growth and productivity

Another sign it may be time to change is there are things that actively hinder your growth and productivity. For instance, while I am grateful for all I learned in my first job, I eventually realized the way we were required to work was not always efficient. And I did not have the autonomy to change the process in a way that would allow me to work faster and deliver better results.

In my next job I was able to implement my own processes and my productivity skyrocketed. I placed more candidates in my first year with the new organization than during my entire time with the first company. The environment really matters. The same person may deliver sub-optimal results in one environment but thrive in another environment.

Other things that may limit your growth and productivity include:

• Poor leadership
• Lack of feedback
• Lack of job clarity
• Conflicting goals
• Constant stress
• Lack of training and learning
• Excessive workload
• Lack of autonomy
• Toxic team environment including things like discrimination, bullying, gossip and drama
• Low expectations
• Teams with low performance
• Lack of morale or enthusiasm
• Lack of mutual support

If some of these things are present in your job, it doesn’t necessarily mean you should quit. But if you realize there are factors that stop you from growing it’s time to find an environment in which you can thrive. Otherwise, you’re really wasting your time and missing out on precious opportunities to advance.

3. Trust is an issue

It’s a bad sign when there is a lack of trust at work. If colleagues can’t rely on one other and don’t have confidence in each other, it’s hard to reach team goals. Successful teams trust each other. If you know that someone’s got your back and supports you, it’s really motivating. You’re more likely to thrive in such an environment. One of the reasons I enjoy going to work is because I trust my colleagues. We can rely on each other.  

Trust takes time to build up but can be quickly broken. For example, if your manager promises you a raise or promotion, but never delivers, it’ll be hard for you to trust them. Broken promises and empty words can kill your work morale and make you feel like you’re being taken advantage of. Don’t let this happen. If you constantly doubt the integrity of your colleagues’ or manager’s intentions, it may be time to move on. Things like broken promises, disrespect, dishonesty, and manipulation are big red flags for me.

4. Red tape and politics interfere with your job

Red tape describes rules and processes that seem unnecessary and delay your results. For example, in my first job we had to write a long report about each candidate that we presented. Theoretically this is a good thing to do, but it significantly slowed down the speed with which we could present each profile. In the recruiting business speed is almost everything.

I’ve witnessed other situations in which managers lost lots of time with politics. Decisions and actions were often guided by unspoken rules and “alliances” within the company. These kinds of things eat up time, energy, and emotional resources. Red tape and politics are two major red flags for me.  Who’s got time for that?

5. You invest in the company, but the company does not invest in you

There is a saying that hard work pays off. While I believe that this is fundamentally true, sometimes companies don’t reward their hardest working employees. If you feel like you’re pouring out, but nothing comes back, it’s time to change. Find a company that will value your hard work. If you invest your time, energy, and extra effort in the company, they should invest in you. I’m not saying every little thing needs to be rewarded, but good companies acknowledge their employees’ contributions and reward hard work. Quitting jobs that don’t do this is a move in the right direction.

6. You almost always lack motivation

Another sign that it’s time for a change is if you’re always fighting to stay motivated. It’s normal to have phases this. For instance, you shouldn’t necessarily quit if you have to work on mundane tasks. As a professional it’s important to know how to get things done in a disciplined way, even when they don’t excite you.

However, it’s probably time to change if you’re always just waiting for the day to be over and are constantly bored. We can’t advance if we’re disengaged and are not challenged. One of the best ways to enhance your performance is to do something that’s intrinsically motivating and allows you to use your strengths.

7. You dread going to work

If you dread going to work, it’s one of the biggest signs its time for a change. Be honest with yourself and identify specifically the things that make you hate your job. Here it’s important to understand what you can change and what you can’t change. For instance, if you’ve always had problems with work colleagues, perhaps this same issue will persist, even if you change jobs. It would be more effective to work on internal things that make team-work difficult.

However, if you dread going to work due to things that can’t be changed or are difficult to change like having a choleric boss, then it’s time to move on.

8. Your health is suffering, you lack energy and have lots of negative feelings

I put these points together because they cover general physical and psychological well-being. If work is causing your health to suffer, it’s time to move on. Being in an environment that is draining your energy and making you sick is not worth it. A job that causes you to have negative feelings all the time is not worth it.

I’ve known people with jobs that had a negative impact on their health. They were miserable but felt they couldn’t leave. They had to keep their jobs to maintain their lifestyle or felt they couldn’t quit due to a sense of loyalty to their employer.

To be honest you won’t have any kind of lifestyle if your health deteriorates. Also, no matter how good an employee is, they are replaceable. Trust me. If you quit, the company will not go out of business. They’ll find someone else to replace you and continue just as before.

Don’t allow yourself to be used up to the point that there is nothing left – nothing left for your family or other things that are important to you. Don’t lose sight of what’s important.

8 Things to Consider When Quitting Jobs

Changing jobs is not something that should be done lightly. When we are in difficult situations, we usually want to get out as quickly as possible. But try not to lose sight of the big picture.

For example, my first job was quite stressful, but I learned a lot in a short period of time. Even though I didn’t always enjoy my work, I didn’t want to leave after just a year or so. I knew that I needed at least 2 or 3 years at the company to learn the ins and outs of the business. Because of the consulting nature of the job, I could enhance my skillset very quickly. I knew that if I persevered, I would have valuable experience that would make me competitive when looking for the next job.

With that said it’s important to have a plan. Here are some things I think you should consider before handing in your letter of resignation:

1. Identify the problem, figure out what’s not working

Before switching jobs, try to gain clarity about what the problem is and what is not working. Ask yourself if switching jobs will really improve the situation. It may be obvious that it’s time for a change. However, there may be other challenges that don’t directly have to do with the job.

For example, you may feel the need to change because the workload is too much, and you’re constantly stressed. However, if the real problem is you’re not good at setting boundaries and saying no, you’ll have this issue in any organization. You may gain more by seeing the situation as an opportunity for growth and actively work on improving your ability to set boundaries.

2. Try to get clear about what you want before quitting jobs

Most of the time we change jobs because there is something we don’t like. We feel dissatisfied. However, this is just one side of the equation. The other side is really knowing what we want. It’s ok to experiment and try out different things, but eventually it’s good to develop self-awareness about what you’re looking for in a job. Without knowing this, you might be just as miserable in the next job.

Take time to consider what your goals and core values are. Also consider the things that you like about your current job. Having such an awareness will help you pick a company that can provide the best environment for you to thrive.

3. Consider what you are good at and in what areas you need to improve

Perhaps you are looking for a career change, but don’t yet have the necessary skills to get the job you want. Make a list of the things that you are good at. This list probably includes strengths or transferrable skills that you can use for any job.

Make another list with things you need to improve on or skills you need to learn. I know someone who wants to become a software developer so they’re participating in a boot camp. I’ve actively worked on improving my communication skills to make myself a more competitive candidate.

By getting clear on what your development areas are, you can do what is needed to help you reach your career goals. Before quitting jobs that don’t align with your needs, you may want to enhance your skillset.

4. Don’t change too abruptly

Don’t turn in your resignation too quickly, slow down. Make a calculated and deliberate decision. Of course, if there is something that you just can’t take any more, do what you need to do. But you don’t want to make a solely emotional decision. Take time to consider your options so that your next move is a step in the right direction and won’t put you in worse situation than before.

5. Have another job in place before quitting jobs

I personally would not quit my job before having another one in place. Unless I have a good reason, I don’t want to be unemployed between jobs. Let’s say it takes longer than expected to find a job that fits your requirements. You may be forced to settle for something that you don’t really want. This would defeat the purpose of changing jobs in the first place.

Of course, if you have the financial muscle to bridge several months of unemployment and just need a break you may not need to have a job in place before you quit. In any case, be intentional so that you don’t run into any unpleasant surprises. This could still happen, but at least you worked on the things that you could control.

6. Don’t burn bridges, leave graciously when quitting jobs

You probably have a good reason to be mad at someone, but please don’t burn any bridges. Leave your job graciously. You never know if in the future you’ll encounter your colleagues or managers again. You may end up in the same company or working together in some fashion. The world is indeed small. You don’t want something you do now to work against you in the future. Leave in a mature and professional way.

7. Ask for advice when quitting jobs

I recommend talking to someone who is professionally a few years ahead of you. Open your plans and considerations. Because they have more experience and can offer qualified advice, you’ll gain some useful insights. Don’t ask everybody what they think. Otherwise, you’ll get all kinds of opinions and probably end up more confused than before.

8. Expand your network

You should always maintain your network, but when quitting jobs, this is something you want to pay particular attention to. Through networking, you can gain access to opportunities before others even hear about them. Here are some things to pay attention to when networking:

• Ask those you are connected to for referrals. When connecting with others remember, quality is better than quantity. Focus on maintaining long-term, quality relationships.

• Make sure your social media profiles are up to date. Take advantage of the ability to connect with others through platforms like LinkedIn. Join groups related to your areas of interest.

• When meeting someone show interest and let them speak. Don’t take up too much of their time, follow up and remember to say thank you.

Summary of Quitting Jobs

In this article we focused on how to know when its time to change jobs and what to consider before taking this step.

Indications it may be time to change jobs:

1. Your job is not helping you to realize your potential
2. Your environment limits your growth and productivity
3. Trust is an issue
4. Red tape and politics interfere with your job
5. You invest in the company, but the company does not invest in you
6. Almost always lack motivation
7. Dread going to work
8. Your health is suffering, you lack energy and have lots of negative feelings

What to consider before changing jobs:

1. Identify the problem, figure out what’s not working
2. Try to get clear about what you want
3. Consider what you are good at and in what areas you need to improve
4. Don’t change too abruptly
5. Have another job in place before you quit
6. Don’t burn bridges, leave graciously
7. Ask for advice
8. Expand your network

If you need some professional assistance in making your next move, feel free to reach out to me here. I look forward to hearing from you!