Whether due to a total shift in the worldview, changing priorities, or a desire for change, people globally are considering quitting jobs more seriously than ever. In the US, four million workers quit in April, a phenomenon termed as ‘the Great Resignation’. According to a recent survey conducted by Microsoft, 41% of employees globally are planning to quit their current jobs. Introducing hybrid/ remote work as a parallel norm could be a solution.
The stats indicate a mass exodus expected in the job market. Many of you reading this article too must be part of this percentage. If yes, read till the end to know the most important questions you must ask yourself before quitting a job.
Reasons Behind Quitting Jobs
Most of us, at some level, are resistant to change. However, once you feel comfortable and ‘settle in’ in your current professional status, the thought of job change, let alone quitting, can be disconcerting.
Here are a few reasons why people still consider quitting jobs:
- Pursuing higher studies/ finishing education
- Relocation
- A job change for corporate success/ better prospects in the same or different industry
- To earn more money and live a life of abundance through a better alternative career choice
- To try something new and diversify your profile
- Monotony at the current job
- Toxic work environment or a non-productive work culture
- Health problems
5 Essential Questions to Ask Yourself Before Quitting a Job
Whatever the reason, quitting a job is a big decision that should not be taken impulsively. Instead, you must make an informed decision by asking yourself the following questions before quitting a job:
1. Why are you quitting the job?
What prompts your decision? Is it a job change to upgrade your profile for corporate success? Is it because you want to earn more money and the current job is not satisfying your financial goals?
Is it a change of sector — you want to pursue something totally new and redefine your professional identity? Or is it something specifically related to this particular job that you don’t like?
These questions are important because the objective behind quitting a job gives you a roadmap for what’s next.
2. What makes you unhappy in your current job?
If the answer to the above question leads you to some difficulties in your current job, analyse further. Delve deep into what keeps you dissatisfied with this job. Is it the salary, the work culture or environment or some company policies which make your everyday life at work miserable? Is it poor leadership or lack of creative space at work?
Ask if you see yourself stuck in a position where the prospects of exponential success look hazy. This helps you identify if your work is the problem or the workplace and plan a change accordingly.
3. What do you Actually Want to do?
If you know your current workplace is the problem, quitting a job becomes easier once you secure another. But what if the work and not the workplace is what bothers you?
Ask yourself what you actually want to do and how happy you are doing what you do now? Be extremely sensitive to yourself and your life goals when asking this question because career change is equivalent to lifestyle change.
4. Are you ready for the dream change?
If career change turns out to be the objective behind quitting a job, then some serious questions crop up. Are you ready for the uncertainty that comes with a new career? No matter how seasoned you are in your current professional role, you have to start as a rookie in the new sector.
There’s nothing called an easy job, and your dream job will have its own set of challenges. Are you ready to face the new professional challenges? Starting from the beginner’s level means there’s only one way to fast-track growth — work almost twice as hard to make as much as you made in your current position.
Your work-life balance, your professional image your industry contacts all will undergo a sea change. Ask yourself how prepared or skilled you are for this new role.
5. What would you be giving up, and what would you be gaining from quitting a job?
Make a precise analysis of the pros and cons involved — what you gain or lose:
- Financially
- Career prospect-wise
- In work-life balance
- In mental peace
- Social and professional life
- Your self-image
If the pros far outweigh the cons, quitting a job will be a rewarding decision for you.
Conclusion
Change is the key to corporate success, and job change is imperative to exponential growth if it is an informed decision. So think it through if it is the change of work or workplace, change of job or job role that prompts the idea of quitting a job. It is essential to have a safety net before you take the leap of faith, and these questions mentioned above will help you secure yours!
References:
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2021/aug/12/ready-to-quit-your-job-here-are-the-17-questions-to-ask-yourself-first
https://repeller.com/quitting-your-job/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2010/09/21/10-questions-to-ask-quit-your-job-unemployment-google-apple-finances/?sh=45ddf7916edc https://www.thebalancecareers.com/top-good-reasons-to-quit-your-job-2061010
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