One of the most difficult workplace decisions is to quit a job. We all experience hard times at work, and daydream about just walking off and never returning. This is usually just one of those down times. In other cases, the job isn’t so good, but we stick it out simply because we don’t have alternatives or we need the money and the security. However, there are important warning signs that it’s time to quit, and here are five critical ones. One or more should make you seriously consider leaving and not looking back.
1. You Are In a Toxic Work Environment. If you are being harassed (sexually, or otherwise), or if your workplace is a stress factory, full of conflict, in-fighting, and mistreatment of employees, it’s clearly time to leave. I knew of one woman who continued to endure horrible sexual harassment, including ongoing physical contact, simply because she believed she didn’t have alternatives. When she had finally had enough, she found a much better job, with higher pay, and a safer, and saner, work environment.
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2. You Are the Target of Bullies. A workplace bully can be a coworker, a boss, or even an abusive client or customer. If you are the target of a workplace bully, it is important to either deal with the bullying to make it stop, or look for a job elsewhere. Research has shown that enduring workplace bullying can have a tremendous negative impact on your health and well-being. Stop the bully, or get out.
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3. Dead End: There is No Chance for Advancement. All too often, people get stuck in dead-end jobs where there is no possibility for promotion. I know a manager in a family-owned business who, at 40, was stuck because only family members were promoted to the executive level. His only option to advance was to leave the company.
4. You Aren’t Growing or Developing. If you feel stagnant in your current job because the work is too easy or too low-level, but you have greater ambitions, it's time to start looking for a position that will allow you to grow and develop. Most companies encourage their employees to learn new skills, and some will help support college or graduate education because they realize the value of more highly-skilled workers. Look for a company that supports employee growth and continual learning.
Helpful post: 10 Steps to Developing Your Leadership
5. You Can’t See the Purpose. Jobs should have purpose or meaning. If you don’t find the work you do rewarding, or at least stimulating, you should consider a career change. We spend a great deal of our lives at work, and work should be rewarding, have purpose, and be a source of satisfaction, not stress.
Here are two basic rules for moving forward in your career.
Generate Opportunities. Early in my career a colleague told me to always "generate opportunities" - always be on the lookout for new and better positions, both inside and outside of your organization. Too many people resist inquiring about or applying for a position because they fear that it will not turn out better than their current position. As my colleague told me, "generate the opportunity, consider it, you can always tell them ‘no thanks.'"
No Risk, No Gain. Yes, in a high-unemployment economy there are risks with putting yourself out on the job market, but employment is like dating - if you settle for the first one that comes along, you are likely to eventually be disappointed. The most successful careers typically involve people who change jobs several times, but always advancing to better positions. If you believe in your talents, your abilities, and your work ethic, there are plenty of really great companies out there who want you.
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