Jobs aren’t what they used to be. They used to be the thing you did every day for most of your life, and once you were in one you were likely to stay in that functional area, and in that company. Back then you had to keep a job for 5-10 years to be taken seriously if you wanted to move. So once upon a time the answer to the question, “Should I quit my job?” was usually: “No.”
Today, the economy is less likely to be stable enough for 5-10 years at a time to make the same job/company something to bank on. People and technology are mobile so jobs have become things we transition between, looking for the right fit, the right experience or the right fulfillment.
So the answer to the question, “Should I quit my job?” today isn’t what it used to be either.
Today the answer is: “Yes, of course.”
But there’s another question you should ask yourself, “Is now the TIME to quit my job?”
Just because you’re frustrated or bored doesn’t mean this is the best time to quit. Here are some other questions to ask yourself to decide whether now is the time to go:
- Do you know what you want in your next job? Always run to something instead of away from something. We’re destined to find again what we try to run away from.
- What skills could you still master in your current job, and how important are they to your succeeding in your next job?
- What about your current job do you really enjoy? (Put them on your list of wants for the next job.)
I have a client who truly does need to quit her current job, and she will. However, as she reviews the answers to these questions, she puts her current job in a context that helps her see just how ready to leave it she is.
She sees that she does know what she wants (and her current gig ain’t it). She sees that she’s mastered all the skills she really wants out of this job (and has begun to discover a new list of challenges she can proactively seek in new opportunities.) And she sees that there are two things she treasures about her current job she’ll make a precondition of new employment.)
Of course you should quit your job. Just be smart about it!
Take charge of your career development to get the job that supports your work and your life. Check out the tools and resources in the InPower Coaching Career Center.
