5 Good Reasons For Quitting a Job
While it’s extremely difficult to quit a job when you need the paycheck, it can be rewarding to leave a workplace that doesn’t suit your personality, goals, or needs. Even if you have to work at another job while looking for one that better suits you, you’ll feel more satisfied and confident with any new position. Don’t worry – in many cases, quitting is the right thing to do, and you’re certainly not alone in wanting better for yourself.
Here are five reasons why quitting might be right for you:
1) Your workplace is making you sick, mentally or physically.
Obviously, you should quit your job if it exposes you to an unacceptable risk of disease or injury. That’s a given. But your workplace can also make you mentally “sick” – and that’s a very valid reason to quit as well.
A toxic work environment can be stressful and toxic for your mental and physical health. If you find yourself feeling overly stressed at work, it may be time to consider leaving the company.
A hostile work environment can also negatively affect your outlook on life, making it harder to enjoy the things that used to bring you joy such as spending time with friends or family members.
2) You hate your job.
This might seem like a no-brainer, but if you hate your job, it’s time to quit. But it’s easier said than done. Many people think that they can stick it out, or wait on that promotion. But the reality is that sometimes, you just plain old hate your job. If that’s the case, you should make the decision to improve your life by leaving.
Some situations you may be experiencing:
- You can’t stand your boss. If the person who hired you is mean and degrading, or if they don’t treat employees fairly, that’s going to be a problem.
- Your coworkers make work miserable by being lazy or mean. If this is the case in your office, it’s time to look somewhere else where people can get along professionally without making each other feel bad about themselves.
- The company is circling the drain. If there are mass layoffs and no chance for a raise, it might be time to get out of there.
- The work itself makes no sense and doesn’t seem important enough to do well. In this case, a new role might give you the passion you need to really excel.
- You’re not learning anything new at work because there’s no room for growth in your position.
- There aren’t many career growth opportunities within the organization; everyone follows orders from management positions instead of making decisions on their own based on their own strengths and weaknesses as an employee.
3) You feel trapped or stuck.
This is the most common reason people quit their jobs. They’re unhappy, they hate their job, and they just want to get out of there as soon as possible.
When you feel this way, it’s natural to start looking for an opportunity that seems like it could be a better fit for you and your life goals. If all things are equal between two offers—so why not take the one that makes you happy?
Of course, quitting can be scary. We often think about how much we might miss out on by leaving our current role behind. It’s important to consider those things before making any big decisions about what’s best for you in the long run; but sometimes it’s worth taking some risks in order to live a happier life now!
4) You were lied to during the interview process.
If you’ve ever been in a job interview and the hiring manager was trying really, really hard to sell you on the job and company, then you can bet they were doing it for a reason. That’s a red flag.
If something seems off on your first day at work, like if you don’t have access to all of the tools and resources that were promised or if the team doesn’t seem as friendly as advertised, consider it a sign that things might not be as great as they seemed during your interview. If an employer tries to make you do things that weren’t in the initial job description, it’s usually a sign that your soon-to-be previous employer didn’t plan ahead.
It’s okay if you want out of this situation! No matter how much money or prestige may be involved in this position, there are always other opportunities out there waiting for us—after all, no one is irreplaceable!
5) The job no longer fits in with your life plan.
There’s a difference between being bored with a position or role, and just not wanting to be doing it anymore from an existential perspective. When you think about why you got into this career path, what was going through your mind? Do those reasons still ring true? If they don’t, then it might be time to consider leaving.
Maybe you always wanted to be an artist but ended up with your current job as an accountant because that’s what people around you said made sense at the time. Maybe your dream has always been to start your own business but for whatever reason that hasn’t happened yet. Maybe now is the right time!
Or perhaps there’s something else entirely on your mind: maybe travel has always been appealing; or having kids or starting a family is more important than anything else right now. Whatever your reason, if your plan changes, so to must your actions. This is a perfectly valid reason to quit your job.
Should I quit my job?
If you’re an unhappy employee, you should quit your job. Your work performance will suffer anyway, and this can have a negative impact on your current employer’s bottom line.
The longer it takes for you to realize that unhappiness is affecting your work, the more damage it will do to both your reputation for any new employers and the current company culture as a whole. Also, you’re wasting your time (and your talents) when instead you could be making space to welcome in a new career that you love where you and your employer are mutually benefitted.
When we experience discomfort in one area of our lives (such as at work), we need to address those feelings so that they don’t spread into other areas where they could cause additional problems down the road — especially if those problems involve your physical or emotional wellbeing, or risking damage to your professional reputation.
More people than ever are thinking about making a career change into a new job, into something fulfilling, fun, and high-paying. And they’re looking to upskill in order to get these competitive roles. One guaranteed way to increase your marketability is through technical certifications, which are becoming increasingly popular as a low-cost way to gain a new and in-demand skill.
Thanks to the modern era and, largely, the pandemic, remote positions are growing rapidly, and the job search has never been easier with online tools with websites like Indeed. You can even look up interview questions for specific companies and roles online. And as more and more remote employment options surface, you will find the vast majority of these positions require technical training. Keep that in mind if you desire to work from home!
Job seekers are finding more fun new challenges and dream jobs in the post-pandemic job market than ever. There are countless ways of going about improving your life. All you have to do is take action.
