Embrace Possibility Top 5 Reasons You Should Quit Your Job

Top 5 Reasons You Should Quit Your Job

quit nowHave you ever wondered:

Should I quit my job?

You're not alone.

People often tell me they are unhappy with their jobs. They fantasize about getting out and like most fantasies, it doesn't happen.

The good news is:

Those who do make the switch don't regret it.

The bad news is:

This doesn't make the decision any easier for you.

You have responsibilities and quitting your job in this economy seems a bit reckless. On the flip side, staying at a job you should be leaving is downright foolish.

So how do you know when to say goodbye to your employer?

Look for the five warning signs below. If you see any one of these signs, begin planning your exit strategy. If a few of these hold true for you, start updating your résumé now.

You should quit your job if you're:

 

Only in it for the Money

If the only thing that is keeping you at your job is your compensation, then you may want to consider other career options. If you:

  • look to do as little as possible during the workday,
  • would leave immediately for a higher paid job,
  • stay in bed until the absolute last minute before being unacceptably late for work,

then money is probably the main reason you're staying at your job.

Money is important but use it to enhance your life NOT dictate it.

 

Looking to Retire

What do you want from your professional career?

If your answer is to retire early, then you should probably look to quit what you're doing now. You can get an idea about what you should be doing by looking at what you would do if you could retire.

We're not promised tomorrow so it is always risky to put up with something undesirable (e.g. your current job) for a future reward that may never happen. Why not choose a path that will allow you to enjoy yourself along the way to your desired destination?

Successful people rarely retire even when they are eligible to. Look at Warren Buffett, William Zinsser or Frances Hesselbein. They are well over the retirement age and have the means to retire yet they still get up in the morning and go to "work".

"You have to love something to do well at it"

- Warren Buffet

 

Not Learning What Matters

The more value you add, the more desirable you'll be for employers.

Your value comes from learning skills that people are willing to pay for. If you want to be wildly successful, cultivate skills that combine your natural talents with what people will pay you for. If your current job doesn't allow you to learn the skills that matter to you, you are wasting your potential.

One common mistake people make is to confuse learning what matters with learning new things. While there are many benefits to learning new things, it is important to make sure you devote a good amount of your time learning marketable skills that play to your strengths. If you're not sure what your strengths are, test your  aptitude to find out.

You spend most of your waking hours working. If you're not given responsibilities at work where you can build your key skills, you'll have a hard time becoming valuable. People who don't add value become obsolete and are eventually let go. Always look for the job that will challenge you (in a good way).

 

Working for a Horrible Boss

People don't leave their companies. They leave their managers.

A horrible boss can take many forms:

  • Someone who is disrespectful.
  • Someone who doesn't develop you.
  • Someone who steals all the credit. 

You're in trouble if you have a bad boss. If there is no sign that your boss will be leaving the company, it's a good idea to start looking elsewhere for work.

Remember: Your environment exists because you either wanted it, rewarded it or allowed it to happen. You can choose to stay or your can choose to leave. Don't ever give up that power.

 

Pretending to be Someone Else

This is a deal breaker for me.

If being yourself is detrimental to your success at work, you're better off leaving.

It's too tiring and stressful to be someone you're not. You won't do it well and it's not sustainable. You'll eventually burn out from selling out.

Please don't confuse this with professional development or stepping out of your comfort zone. I'm referring to instances where you're asked to do something that goes against your principles, your morals or any other strong belief. In these instances, consider speaking with Human Resources to transfer right away.

For example: If you're told to be more "aggressive" to get the job done, you need to decide whether this is a good strategy you weren't aware of or if it is something that goes against your principles. If it's a good strategy, understand that it'll be awkward during the learning stage. If it goes against your beliefs, look to find another approach or another role.

Your standards are for you to set and there is no right or wrong. Don't ever let your employer decide what you should believe.

 

If any of these situations reflect your work life, quitting may not be a bad idea. Before you type up your resignation letter, keep these important points in mind:

  • Take time to figure out what job best suits you - consider reading What Color is Your Parachute or attend my Know What You Want Workshop
  • Evaluate the job before you accept the job - do informational interviews with current employees and prepare the right questions to get the answers you need. There is no point blindly jumping from one bad situation into another.
  • Ease the transition - no need to reach your dream job in one try. Take steps towards it.
  • Start saving money NOW - the better your finances, the more freedom you'll have to transition.
  • Be responsible for your future - only you can make it happen.

Have you ever left your job? What made you quit?

For those who see these warning signs in your professional life, what do you plan to do about it?

Share this article with anyone who is unhappy with their job.

 
Photo by fuzzcat

Share this Article

About the Author:

Robert is the founder of Embrace Possibility and author of The Dreams to Reality Fieldbook. He works with people to get to the next level in their professional and personal lives. If you're going through a tough time right now, check out Robert's article on How to Feel Better Right Away and if you're having trouble getting what you want out of life, check out How to Always Achieve Your Goals. More Posts - Website

10 Comments

  1. george verdolaga May 13, 2013 at 9:55 pm - Reply

    I once quit a job because it was a poor fit. Every day that I went to work was really stressful for me so I prayed that each do would go by quickly (which was a sure sign that it was not the right job for me to be in). Great post, Robert.

    • Robert Chen May 13, 2013 at 11:02 pm - Reply

      Thanks for sharing George. Praying for the day to past is definitely a warning sign. I’m glad you were able to get out of that job and into doing what you love.

  2. Mark Martins May 20, 2013 at 4:48 am - Reply

    The fourth one made me the decision to quit my job. I just can’t stand him. His horrible behavior is the thing that really pushed me to the limit. I even have occurring nightmares with him shouting at me. I’m not a bad employee. But he reacts too much for the little errors I made that can be easily get corrected.

    • Robert Chen May 20, 2013 at 7:34 pm - Reply

      Hi Mark,

      Thank you for sharing your experience. I’m glad you escaped that bad situation.

  3. Monica June 29, 2013 at 1:35 am - Reply

    I am a single mother with three kids. I feel hopeless and stuck. I love my job and I work because I care about the patients. I am a lab tech assistant. I just feel like I need a man in my life, but with three kids is so hard to start over….

    • Robert Chen June 29, 2013 at 3:03 pm - Reply

      Monica – thank you for sharing your situation. It is hard to start over and at the same time, it’s possible and many people have done it. Focus on what you can control and take inventory on the aspects of the life you do enjoy and what you want to improve. For example if you are happy with you career and want to improve your relationships, what are you doing to make that happen. What is under your control that is holding you back?

  4. Niclas Lahmer September 13, 2013 at 5:28 am - Reply

    Quitting your job is only a good idea if you already have a plan what you want to do next. If you hate your job, go and quit it. As far as I know you only live once, so do the things you like and that make you feel good. The money is important, but if you hate your job, you will hate the money that comes from working at that job. Do something you love and the money you want will follower. It has been my experience and also the experience of my clients and customers. Great post Robert !

    Niclas Lahmer
    Chief Executive Officer
    Benkiyo e.U
    http://www.benkiyo.com

    • Robert Chen September 14, 2013 at 12:46 am - Reply

      Well said Niclas. Life is too short to waste it. To get the best return for your time, spend it using your strengths to achieve your personal mission.

  5. Steven Le December 4, 2013 at 10:12 am - Reply

    I think when people quit there job, they should take into account how it affects other people and not just themselves. Sure enough a lot of people hate their jobs and are unhappy with where they are in life. But don’t just quit without a decent plan if it has a big effect on other people. I’m all for chasing dreams and pursing what you want in life. Hell, I recently quit my job, but it had no major effect on anyone around me.

    Another major reason that people should seriously consider quitting their jobs is if their health is effected!

    I worked in an environment where I would stand for 9 hours and often not even get a lunch break. I know this is probably similar to many people, but it isn’t acceptable. Not for me anyway!

    If you feel like your health is being affected then you must consider your options. Nothing is more important than your health. Time does not = Money. Money is abundant limited only by how much our governments decide to print. Time on the other hand is limited. It will run out.

    We must strive to make the most of our lives!

    “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.”
    ― Michelangelo Buonarroti

    • Robert Chen December 6, 2013 at 12:59 am - Reply

      Thank you for sharing your insights and the apt quote Steven. You’re right – without our health, we won’t be effective with our time and we’ll also have less of it. As for life’s decisions, you can make any choice you like as long as you take full responsibility for the consequences it may bring.

Leave A Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Title

Membership Login

My Book

Insert Dream Here


Recent Articles

Go to Top