Before You Quit Your Job, Ask Yourself These Questions
Jobs can give us a pretty hard time. First, we have a hard time upskilling and finding it. Then, we can’t get job satisfaction. We need jobs to sustain ourselves in this world as human beings. If we think about it, everybody works for everyone.
Why do I not feel energetic to go to work?
Why are the projects exciting enough?
What’s the worst that can happen if I quit?
If you have any questions above, you might be planning to quit your job. Job hopping is not uncommon today. Quitting early or late can have very bad consequences. Maintaining your income and job security is important. You need to find ways around asking the right questions. Here are some things you’ll need to know before you quit your current job.
1. How much time for switching?
Deciding to quit a job is not an easy decision. Calculate the time between leaving your current job and joining the next one. Leaving a job means you’ll not have income and job security for a while. It is better to shorten this time to as short as possible. Check if you don’t believe in the company as you used to. Research about the sector and company you may work for if you quit. The onboarding time is different for each company.
Also, calculate how much time before you felt unsatisfied with the job. It may help to know the time period, certain projects, and workplace environment which affected it.
2. Have I given my best for maintaining it?
There are many things you can do to improve things in your job. You can talk to HR, check your plans and goals, do effective communication, etc.
Make sure that you have put out your best effort in making the workplace suitable for you.
You should quit if you think you’ve done it all. And have known other workplaces to have a better environment. You definitely don’t want to end up in an even worse environment. You may think that the next job will be ‘the job’. But, analyze all the wrong patterns and things to not repeat the mistake.
3. Am I in the wrong field or wrong position?
The next thing you should re-consider is your field of service. You might be feeling left out in your Graphic Designer job. Know if it’s the designing field you would like to change. Or the Designer position.
Field -> Designing, Developing, Engineering
Positions -> Graphic Designer, Art director, UX/ UI designer
Check if your current job provides the required position/field in their company. If they do, know if it is feasible for you. Search what other companies are doing. Now, the jobs are going freelance more than ever. So, maintain your freelancer profile in ways of represent your job field or position.
4. Is quitting economically workable for me?
A recent study showed that nearly 70% of Americans have less than $1000 in their bank accounts. It is dangerous fact. It is because you can’t pay for things in the job switching period. You might have found your next job and position. But, it will take time to get your next paycheck. The opening’s timings can get changed.
You can think about getting a temporary job or a gig. This is a better step because you can quit soon and have some time before standing up. Always think about the longest time you’ll be jobless before quitting. This ends up being a bit easy if you are a freelancer.
5. Are my anticipations practical?
You can have certain expectations from a job. A good salary, good work environment, work-life balance. But, you can’t force some aspects of these in some sectors. Remember to check if your expectations are actually inside lines. Quitting and joining takes a lot of your time. So, know that your ‘problems’ with the company.
Try not to follow the same patterns and repetition. Taking some days off can help in this case. The job might not be as bad as you think it to be. It might be a little bad or completely bad. Hence, take decisions accordingly.
6. What will I do after quitting?
Make a list of companies and positions you will be applying to. It makes sense to apply after you’ve made up your mind to quit. Know small details about your next job. Compare that with your current job. If it is any less, drop the idea. Make plans about your housing and food.
This becomes easier if you have a financial cushion to fall on. Make plans about how the next job will be different than this one. This is a big decision. Your entire career is dependent on this step. Know what your day will look like after you quit when you’re jobless and in a new job.
Conclusion
Quitting jobs can be life-changing for people, especially in this age of the internet. You can learn skills from the internet. Websites like Skillshare, and Udemy produce high-quality courses and content. So, learning something technically has never been easier. Quitting is good if you have adequate knowledge in two or more fields. It’s not always about the corporate culture.
But, quitting at a bad time can bring harmful consequences. You may end up getting bankrupt and broke. Ask the questions above. Then, consult your close friends and family. Listen to their advice and experience.
Also read: How to excel in an interview
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