When Is the Right Time to Quit Your Job
and Move On?
When is the right time to quit your job and move on?
When it comes to the long-term planning of your career, there are different dangers that we all face. Naturally, many of these are tightly related to the specifics of your life and job. But there’s one pitfall that’s a problem for all of us, regardless of where we work and what we do: complacency. It’s quite easy to become content with a single job and stop looking for new opportunities altogether. In that situation, you might find yourself becoming too reliant on one job, and one company. So, when is the right time to quit your job, and start looking for new opportunities? There are some telltale signs you should look out for, and we’ll cover them right here.
You Dread Your Job
If you’re thinking about when the right time to quit your job is, it isn’t always about the rational aspects of your workplace. Your emotional disposition towards it is equally crucial, as the seemingly irrational emotions we harbor towards our work are actually deep-rooted in real-world problems or benefits. Or, to put it in a simpler way - do you like going to your job? Sure, most of us don’t adore working. But if you actively dread your next workday, and you hate your job; it’s probably time to move on.
And while we’re on the subject of moving on - don’t be afraid of making radical changes in your career and personal life. If you need to start commuting to another part of the city in order to get a better job and advance your career; don’t let complacency pull you down into career stagnation. Or, if you need to move away to another city to have a much better job position; get ready for your upcoming relocation and just do it! If you wait around for opportunities to reach you, others will always be one step ahead in the labor market.
You Catch Yourself Procrastinating All the Time
Sure, all of us spend some time procrastinating in the workplace. But if you’re spending more of your time doing unimportant stuff than actually working, it doesn’t just mean that you’re lazy; it means that your work isn’t engaging you as much as it should. And that’s a short-term problem in terms of performance, but it may also be an issue that means it’s the right time to quit your job and move on.
It’s Affecting Your Health
Do you find your sick days are starting to add up quite a lot? Do you catch yourself taking more time off than you really need to get better? And on the other hand, are you working so much that you have no time to do some exercise, or eat some healthy food? If that’s the case, your sleep must be suffering as well. In such a scenario, you shouldn’t be scared to change your job. Don’t allow your health to deteriorate any further, as you’ll undoubtedly start hating your job even more.
All of that may mean that you need to change your professional surroundings. And if you don’t want to change jobs, maybe a simple change of scenery is what you need. See if your company has offices in another town; that way you could shake up your professional surroundings without switching jobs. Make sure you take special care of fragile items when packing your office, and start planning your corporate relocation!
Venting About Work
From time to time, all of us start ranting about our jobs. After all, everybody is a couple of bad days at the office away from stressfully venting about work. But if you’re doing it too often, this may be a sign that you need to quit your job and move on. Think about the random conversations you have with your friends and family. Do you use the flimsiest excuse to start talking about how miserable your job makes you? If that’s the case, you need to face the facts - a change needs to be made.
Being Overqualified
Let’s be honest - while we’ve listed a lot of reasons why you may need to quit your job and move on; that doesn’t mean that you should quit any job that isn’t perfect. In reality, all jobs have their pros and cons; you’ll rarely get the perfect conditions you want. And all of us faced the prospect of taking a subpar work position just in order to get by temporarily until something better comes along.
But as we’ve talked about already; many people manage to lull themselves into thinking even these jobs are an okay proposition. And that’s when you start doing something you’re overqualified for, and not making enough money; nor advancing your career. If you sense that you’re in a similar position, start looking for a better job right away.
You Can’t Advance
Speaking of subpar jobs, there’s another way your work could be keeping you down; besides being overqualified, you may also have no room for advancement. One of the worst things that can happen to someone is a well-paying dead-end job. For the moment, such a job can fulfill you, even though it doesn’t offer opportunities for advancement. After all, money is the best possible incentive. But if you can’t advance yourself and learn new things, you’ll start to depend on that specific job way too much. That’s certainly a moment when it’s right to quit your job and move on.