When It’s Time to Leave Your Job

Marcianne Kuethen

May 27, 2014

Jon* was shocked. His friend had just called to say she’d gotten fed up at her job and quit on the spot, giving up her pension and benefits in one fell swoop!

Never having been a fan of change just for the sake of change, Jon felt like he himself was between a rock and a hard place. He loved his current job and had made many friends there, but he just wasn’t bringing in quite enough money to pay all his bills, in spite of the long hours he was working. Although he’d cut expenses, creditors were calling every day now. Jon knew it was time to call a recruiter to pursue the new career he’d been thinking about for over a year.

Change is stressful, and it’s never easy to leave your job, even if you’ve been unhappy. You want to be careful not to be hasty and jump ship without considering all the ramifications. Few things are worse than living with the regret of quitting a job in the heat of the moment. In Jon’s case, however, the decision to change jobs had become clear over time simply because the pay wasn’t sustainable.

Do you think it’s time to leave your job? There are many reasons for why you might be considering a job change, but how do you know if they’re valid? Moz Hussain of Microsoft gives employees four things to consider when deciding whether to leave your job. Here’s my favorite:

First and foremost, follow your passions. If there is an opportunity that fits with something that excites you and gets you blurring the boundary between working for a living and working for fun, jump on it and everything else will come naturally. If the opportunity doesn’t exist, maybe you should create one. Whether you’ve always wanted to be your own boss or work in high fashion, passions are callings you should obey. If your passion doesn’t fit the opportunities available inside your current company and you are unable to create one, it may be time to look outside.

Passion isn’t everything, but loving what you do will certainly keep you going when the going gets tough! To read all four of Moz’s tips, click here. If you still think it’s time to leave your job, then evaluate what you need in a new career, brush up your resume, and call your recruiter!

Are you about to accept a job offer? First, read this tips on negotiating!

By Marcianne Kuethen

*not his real name