How to Decide If You Should Quit Your Job A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Decide If You Should Quit Your Job A Step-by-Step GuideYouve had it, youve really had it this time. The de-stressing techniques you learned in your yoga class are no longer working, and the thought of getting up in the morning and going in to work gives you anxiety hives, the likes of which you havent seen since tenth grade geometry exams. But is this it? Is it time to cut bait on this job and start scrambling for something else? And if so, how does one do that without regretting an impulsive choice? googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) There are a lot of different factors to consider. LikeIf I do decide to quit, should I do it before I have a job offer?If I dont have a job offer waiting in the wings, can I justify leaving my job in an uncertain economy?Is this really quit-worthy, or am I just reacting to a temporary situation?Am I prepared for a long job hunt?What can I do in the meantime?Thats a lot of stuff to have swirling around i n your head while you try to make a major life decision. Lets break it down a little more.Should I Quit?Quitting your job is elend a decision to make lightly. A new job right away isnt a given, but theres also your longer career to think about if you sacrifice your position now, will that tischset you back in the long term? Or will it increase the likelihood that youll find the next great opportunity by giving yourself this push? The first step in making this decision is always, always to do a self-assessment. Thinking, I should quit, and then handing in your resignation that day, is more likely to lead to panic and regret sooner than later. So if youre angry, wait until that red rage subsides a little bit, and ask yourself, why am I so unhappy here?According to some experts, the best place to start is a simple zu nutz und frommen/con listWhat do I like about this job?What do I dislike about this job?Whats missing from this job?What would I want from this job that Im not getting?Af ter youve got your basic rundown of whats bugging you about your job, the next step is to figure out if any of the cons are fixable. Would reprioritizing your duties help? Would your boss be receptive to changing things to be more amenable to your needs, or talking about a raise? If you dont see those cons as budging anytime soon, then its likely time to move on. Also, if the con list is much longer than the pro side, thats a clue that the problems may not be fixable enough.RELATED10 Signs Its Time to Quit Your JobAnother factor to consider is whether its really the job making you unhappy. If the pro list is substantial and the cons dont seem so bad once youve written them out, it might be that youre unhappy in other aspects of your life, and its bleeding into your work life. If its just the job thats causing stress and tension, then you may want to move forward with quitting. If you think its your relationships or financial issues or anything else in your life thats exacerbating st andard work stress, then try addressing those factors first. You may find that youre not as unhappy at work once other issues are resolved (or at least worked on).Once you have your self-assessment complete, and have a stronger sense of whats causing your work malaise, its time to do the next level of research talking about it to someone at work.I Want to Try to Make It Work. How Do I Make Things Better?Schedule some time with your boss where you can sit down alone and talk about your unhappiness. If your compensation is the problem, be prepared to ask for a raise. If its your workload, ask about how you can reprioritize your duties. If its a conflict with other employees, you can get feedback about how to deal with it, officially or unofficially. Either way, be prepared for a frank discussion with your supervisor. And its important to keep the tone as neutral as you canyou dont want your concerns to be dismissed as a rant, or have anyone question your professionalism. If youre conc erned that you will chicken out or will get very angry, practice your talking points ahead of time, either by yourself or with a trusted non-work person.If your boss is the problem, the politics get a little more difficult. You can speak with HR or your bosss boss if youre concerned about direct confrontation, but understand that the information could get back to your boss, and make things extra uncomfortable. If things are that bumpy and contentious with your own boss, it may be time to leave.You can also try some remedies on your own, without involving your manager or HR. Sometimes trying harder to approach your job with a positive and more receptive attitude can help ease things a bit, at least in the short term. Personally, I know that when Im already grumpy, things just kind of spiral down from therebut when I make a conscious effort to say, Okay, maybe Im overreacting and need to try this from a different direction, things seem less dire. Bottom line you know yourself and your professional goals better than anyone, so only you can decide whether these short-term fixes will hold, or whether things will backslide in a matter of weeks.I Think I Need to Quit.Issues that are unlikely to resolve themselves includeYou lack passion for your job, with no exciting prospects on the immediate horizon.You have skills and experience that are going to waste.Your compensation is way under what other people in similar positions make, and your company wont be able to close that gap any time soon.The company itself is failing, and everyones starting to get a TitanicYoure being verbally abused or sexually harassed at work.You have no work-life balance, or its getting steadily worse.Your boredom or malaise has led to decreased performance.Your work stress is making you physically ill.Youre no longer learning anything new at your job.If any of these are your issue, and theres no immediate solution that you can see, its time to move forward with an exit plan.Okay, I Do Want to Quit. Now What?Dont draft your resignation just yet. Give your decision some time to marinate. That can help you work out any brde is it me or the job? kinks, and decide definitively that youre ready to let go. At this stage, you also have to think about what quitting means.Do you have another job offer lined up?And if so, does it address the issues you have with your current job?If you dont have another offer yet, are you prepared to be adrift in the job market for a while?Its best to have an offer in hand before you quit, but thats not always going to be possible. If youre quitting because of one of the dealbreakers mentioned above (especially being stuck with verbal or sexual harassment), you may decide that you just cant continue on in your current job for the average six months it could take to find a new job. If you go this route, try to shore up your financial resources as much as you can before you hand in your resignation. Most experts recommend having at least six months in savings if youre planning to quit your job without a Plan B.RELATEDHow to Quit Your Job Professionally If you dont have an offer yet, you can still do some short-term maneuvers to help set yourself up for your next opportunity.Start reaching out to your network. Let them know youre looking (discreetly, if you havent yet handed in your resignation).Clean up your social media accounts, and get them ready for professional strangers to be peeking in.Revamp your resume.Start hitting job boards hard, and using industry-specific resources online.While coming up with your post-quitting career plan, you should also be thinking about your last few weeks at work. Youll need to give noticeat least two weeks, but your company may require more, so be sure to double-check company policy. You will also need to decide whether youll be available for transition training and any final requests your boss might have as you get ready to go. Its important to be courteous and professional at every step h ere, no matter how fed up you may feel. Even if you already have a new job offer in hand, you dont want to burn bridges on your way out. Its much better to leave with your professional rep intact. It can really help minimize regrets later on.Whether youre feeling temporary job blues or you really need to get out and move on, the important piece is that you put the time and effort into diagnosing the problems and coming up with long- and short-term plans to make sure that youre not hurting yourself by acting too rashly, or by giving in to inertia and staying in a bad situation too long. Sometimes quitting is the hardest and most rewarding decision you can make for your career, but you want to make sure its the exact right call for you at the time.