Should You Stay Or Quit Your Job?
Do you have thoughts of quitting or leaving your job, but you aren’t convinced you are making the decision for the right reasons? Are you thinking of maintaining, remaining or staying in your job, but not sure you’re making the right decision? Before deciding to stay or quit your job, you should be certain and have justifiable reasons for tendering your resignation letter or remaining in the job. Making a choice of staying or quitting your job requires careful and critical thinking, putting all the cards on the table, making consultations and talking to friends, colleagues, mentors and family amongst others.
Hating or loving your job or employer isn’t enough reason to quit or stay in a particular job, so is having another job offer. There are a myriad of reasons that should determine if you stay or quit your job. The decision to stay or quit your job is a significant phase, moment or stage in your professional career; hence, it is vital to differentiate between working with inherent or new challenges in a job and knowing when to quit. There are a number of valid reasons personally and professionally, that should be considered before deciding to stay or quit a particular job. Therefore, this article will discuss such.
Things to Consider Before Deciding to Stay or Quit Your Job
Enumerated below are things to consider before deciding to stay or quit your job;
- Passion for the job
- Workplace Environment
- Opportunities for Growth and Advancement
- Work-Life Balance
- Company’s Future
- Health Status/Illness
- Better Opportunities
- Relocation
- Going back to School
Passion for the Job: Passion is an essential component of every endeavour in life. When you have passion for what you do, it stimulates creativity and promotes a higher sense of fulfilment, satisfaction and purpose. This in turn ensures improved productivity, a high rate of outcomes and overall growth and development of the company. When you are passionate about your job and feel a sense of personal and professional satisfaction, then you should stay in your job. In contrast, jobs become monotonous, disheartening and tiring without passion. When you no longer enjoy working, nor derive satisfaction from what you do, you invariable feel like you are wasting your skills, expertise and potential. If you lose excitement, joy and satisfaction from working, then it is best you consider looking for another job.
Workplace Environment: The working environment plays a vital role in determining the growth of both employees and the workplace as a whole. Working in an unhealthy and non-conducive environment or space poses grave threats to your happiness personally and professionally, and is, therefore, an indication that you quit or leave the job. When the company or management are over-controlling and punitive, when employers are dishonest, and when communication channels are ineffective, the workspace becomes unhealthy, unattractive and thus resulting in high employee turnover, fear at work and so on. In such a scenario, it is better to leave the job. Conversely, you should stay or remain in your job when the environment is serene and ambient, when you feel appreciated and when senior managers and team leaders are honest and trustworthy.
Opportunities for Growth and Career Advancement: Every individual at some point in every facet of life strives for growth and advancement. In the work endeavour, opportunities for growth and career advancement aren’t limited to just promotion, increased salary or vertical advances alone. Rather, such opportunities should include mentoring, being given new projects to work on and learning about other branches of the organization. When your organization or company offers you opportunities to grow and advance your career further, then it is advisable you remain with that company. However, when your organization does not provide the aforementioned ample opportunities, then it is better to leave the job. Before leaving, consult, engage and interact formally with your employer about such opportunities, if the company doesn’t give you a satisfactory response on opportunities for growth, then it is better to stick to your decision of quitting.
Work-life Balance: Striking a balance between work and your personal life is essential for your physical, mental and psychological wellbeing. Although it is good to develop and have a strong work ethic and occasionally work overtime, it generates problems if it becomes a mainstay of your life. When you work excessively over time, without being able to strike a balance with your personal life, it takes a toll on your wellbeing and negatively affects the quality and productivity of your work. In such situations, it is advisable to leave the job. On the other hand, a job that enables you to strike a perfect balance between work and your personal life is worth staying or remaining in.
Health Status/ Illness: When your job is taking a toll on your health, it is advisable to leave the job and find an alternative. When you no longer eat well, are constantly stressed out, are always in and out of hospitals or clinics, have no time to exercise or live healthy, are unable to get enough sleep, or constantly take sick days off work, then it is better to quit the job. No job is worth your health. In contrast, if your job poses no negative consequences on your physical, mental, emotional or psychological health, then you should stay in the job.
Company’s future: An organization or company with a guaranteed foreseeable future is worth staying in, especially when you’re passionate about the job. Job security is an essential component of the working endeavour. Although all organizations experience highs and lows, it is better to have a rethink if your organization consistently underperform or is in danger of being closed. When staff are being constantly laid off, branches are closed, there is a reduction in the number of clients and productivity, and salaries are not paid when due, it is a sign that the company or organization’s financial future is in jeopardy. In such a scenario, it is better to quit the job.
Better Opportunities: Even at jobs that are comfortable, with a positive working environment and supportive colleagues, if there are substantially better opportunities at other organizations in your field, you should consider leaving to pursue them. These opportunities include higher salaries, better avenues for career advancement, and a broader professional network or professional fulfilment.
Relocation: When you move or relocate, you have to quit your job unless there are opportunities to relocate with the company or work remotely. If you are interested in staying in the job when you relocate, check to see if relocation or working remotely is an option.
Going Back to School: Going back to school either on a part-time or full-time basis can necessitate a job change or not, depending on the organization. Given your school schedule and the demands of your job, your current employer may or may no longer be a good fit.