Its never easy to quit a job, not at least when you have completed more than 3 or 5 years in a firm. I was in such a quandary last summer when I quit my job of 5.5+ years. At that time, I asked myself some tough questions and arrived at a decision that best suited my career and my personal growth. Here are those 5 important signs to recognize when to call it quits:
i) Are you enjoying your job? Is you job giving you satisfaction?
There comes a point in our career where we go about our mundane activities without stopping to think if we are enjoying the process of working. My job wasn’t giving me anything new to learn, it became a mechanical task. I wasn’t growing at my workplace, in fact I started stagnating. So, I asked myself if the job was giving me the satisfaction that it used to give me, say 6 months back or a year back. My heart said NO, check with yours.
ii) Do you have room for personal growth? Do you have a life?
Sometimes, growing in the career and climbing the ladder of hierarchy at workplace takes prime importance. And we lose focus from other important things of life, like say, do we have a personal life at all? I was wasting too much time in the commute. I was shut-off from family and friends, didn’t have anyone to meet or anywhere to go as work kept me occupied. So, it became very important that I reclaim life.
iii) Have you progressed in your job? Have you been given timely promotions?
Initially my work was appreciated and I was even promptly promoted, without having to fight for it. But later on, things did not go as expected. My hard work was not being recognized and the promotion that I should have been given, was denied. When good work goes unnoticed time and again, then the management is probably trying to say that they have nothing more to offer you. So, always give yourself this reality-check of when was the last that you were promoted.
iv) Is your job affecting your health? Are you stressed out?
You maybe happy with the job, it maybe paying you well. But is it affecting your lifestyle and your fitness? Are you healthy enough or having too much fast food and caffeine taken a toll on you? Is your blood pressure and cholesterol under control? If not, then it means the job is stressing you out. And its probably time to relax. Give your body and mind a break.
v) Is your pay good enough? Are you financially secure?
This of course, is what we work for, to take home a pay. Salary is what keeps us going by meeting our financial needs, be it a new car or a house. We all need financial security and have to save up for that rainy day. But is our job paying us enough? Is there someone out there, who is doing the same thing as we do, and getting paid more for it? If yes, then why? If your current firm cannot keep up with the industry pay structure then its time to re-assess our career.
Four of the above five questions led to NO as the answer, and I went in for a change of job. I think we should all do this timely check once every two years, if not every year.
This post was first published on Yahoo Network
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