How to Know When It’s Time to Quit Your Job
Are you ready for a job change, or should you stick it out in your current position? Asking yourself these questions will help you decide.
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You Will Need
- Time to reflect
- The ability to be honest with yourself
Steps
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Step 1
Note how you feel
Note how you feel on Monday morning. Are you sick to your stomach at the thought that there are five days between you and another weekend? Not good.
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If anxiety starts to set it on Sunday, that’s a bad sign.
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Step 2
Consider your workload
Think about your workload. Has it recently doubled—or halved? Either scenario is a valid reason to be unhappy.
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Step 3
Weigh pros and cons
Draw up a list of the job’s pros and cons. Do the cons outnumber the pros? Are the cons more troubling than the pros are enticing? Note: 'free coffee' doesn’t count as a pro.
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Step 4
Assess your value
Assess your value to the company. Do you feel you’re being paid what you’re worth? Is your boss appreciative of your efforts? If the answer is 'no' to both, it’s time to go.
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Unless there is a company-wide salary freeze at your firm, not getting a raise at your last performance review is a sign that you’re not valued.
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Step 5
Weigh your options
Weigh your options. If you quit, could you afford to live without a salary for a while? The average job hunt takes six months—more, if you’re earning over $60,000.
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Employment experts say job seekers must figure on one month of searching for every $10,000 they earn.
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Step 6
Rate the difficulty
Be honest: could a trained seal do your job? Then you’re ready for a challenge.
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Step 7
Measure your crap threshold
Measure your threshold for taking crap. Is it lowering? Are you on the verge of telling your boss at the morning meeting, 'By the way, nobody really wants to hear about your weekend potty-training the puppy—let’s get this show on the road.' Ta-ta and good luck.
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More than three-quarters of survey respondents said they're suffering from burnout at work, and more than half claimed they're under a lot of on-the-job stress.
