11 Signs That You Should Quit Your Job
I gave my two week notice today at my job. I could not be happier! It is an incredible burden lifted off of me. Before, there was no end in sight. But now, there is a set day where I know that I will never ever have to come back to my job, ever again… ever. EVER!
Hopefully all of you don’t hate your job as much as I hated mine. I would absolutely dread going to work and just thinking about it would ruin my days off. When my shift would end, I would feel this enormous sense of freedom and would race home to get away from my job.
Is your job working out for you? Do you feel some of the same feelings I am feeling? If you love your job, good for you! Hold on to it, cherish it, and excel at it. If not, go through this list and see if any of the items match up to your current situation. No, not all of these reasons alone are enough to quit your job, but a combination of them can be reason enough to leave. It will be up to you to decide which ones you can live with and which ones you can’t. I know that there is no perfect job out there and that they all can be hard at times. I hope this is a valuable resource!
Signs That You Should Quit Your Job
- There is no passion – I made this number one for a reason. If you have no passion for your job, then the rest of these signs don’t matter. Finding your passion can be a difficult thing. Sometimes it seems like there isn’t one, sometimes it seems like there are too many. I don’t claim to know a tried and true way to find your passion. But when you do find it, do everything in your power to integrate it with your career. It will no longer be a job to at this point. If you would do your job on your own time, even if you weren’t getting paid for it, that is a good sign that you have a passion for it. Good luck!
- You don’t get paid enough – If you are just barely scraping by month to month or are getting yourself into a lot of debt, you might not be getting paid enough. Yes, you might be making horrible choices with your money as well, but it could be your payment. Are you living frugally, spending your money very carefully, and still find it hard to get ahead? If that is so then you are not getting paid enough!
- You are uncomfortable or don’t get along with coworkers – These are the people that you will be spending time with for at least 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, 4 weeks a month, 12 months a year. If you are not getting along with them or don’t feel comfortable around them, then it might be time to move on. However, if everything else is working out, do what you can to fix this one.
- You dread going to work each day – Like I said before, I would dread going to work each day. I would dread it at the beginning of my weekend! This is not healthy. Over time it will drive you crazy and will most likely just keep getting worse. Don’t submit yourself to something you dread for a living.
- Your work schedule does not fit into your life – Some people like a hectic schedule that never stays the same. But I don’t! My previous schedule was complete chaos. I never knew what to expect for the week ahead and therefore could not make plans too far in advance. This is also true for the night shift. I did it for 3 months and it really messed with me. If you can handle it, good for you. If not, get out of there or change your schedule!
- Lack of benefits – Sometimes this one has to be sacrificed. There are many jobs out there that don’t provide benefits. It can help so much when you have a family that needs health insurance though. This one alone might not be reason to leave, but combined with others, maybe.
- You are embarrassed to tell others what you do – If you find yourself trying to avoid conversation about jobs, salaries, careers and promotions with your friends and family because you are embarrassed about your job, that is not a good sign! Find something that you are proud to share with people. Over the span of a lifetime you will spend an incredible amount of time at your job. Make it something that you are not embarrassed about and something that you wish to share with others.
- Too long of a commute – This is another one that alone may not be enough to change your job, but with others, it could be. A long commute will drain your time, energy, and money. Is the passion you have for your job worth all of that? If so, great. If not, find something closer.
- Your strengths are not being utilized – If you seem to be hitting a wall with your progress at your job or just don’t seem to understand it or get better at it, this could be a sign. Some things are difficult to learn, so give it some time before deciding to try something new. If you do change, find something that utilizes the strengths you already have!
- Your job is not fulfilling – If you come home from work each day and you feel like you have not really helped the world in some way, or that your job is just not fulfilling, take a step back and think about your job. I got to the point with my job where it had no fulfillment. One day I realized that I put boxes on a shelf for a living and decided to get out of there.
- You have no desire to be the best you can be at your job – One sign that you are not in the right field is lack of effort. Your job should be something that you put all of yourself into. You need to genuinely care about your job and want to succeed. If you can’t get into this mindset with your current job, think about a job that you would care about and put your all into.
I do realize that changing a job that you have been doing for years that has some security is not an easy move for some people. I know that sometimes there are families involved and making a change would put them in a bad situation. I just encourage you to always keep your eyes out for new opportunities.
A job does not have to be an everyday burden. It can help you fulfill your purpose in life if you find the right one. If you do decide to quit your job, do it the right way. Be honest with your boss or manager about why you are leaving and give them two weeks notice. You don’t want to burn any bridges and lose a good reference.
I hope this helped you find some clarity as to whether or not your job is right for you. What are some other signs that you should not be in the job that you are in? What steps have you taken to make the situation better? Post a comment below and let us know.
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Jack,
This is such an interesting topic. Yesterday at work was not a good day for me. In fact, this was exactly what I was thinking about. The only difference is that I do have a passion for what I do, I have fantastic co-workers, good pay but something has been missing… I guess it’s not been fulfilling in a spiritual level? It’s been more so growing and this part of what I do professionally has been steadily dissolving. I know this alone is NOT a reason that I will be quitting or at least in the near time future, but I know this is a stepping stone to bigger and better things. In the meantime I’m hagging in there and will take things lightly versus personally.
Thanks for posting this subject on your blog and letting me vent what I had in mind.
Julia
Oh, and great luck on your NEW adventure!
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I also look at it in terms of “opportunity cost” – what am I missing out on by hanging on to this job? Are there “bigger” things I can accomplish being somewhere else or doing something else?
And this is probably your number 10, but I think it is time to quit when I quit learning at my job.
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I like my job because I have a lot of freedom to work at my own pace, but I just wish I could work less. Stupid 40hr work week. A 20 to 30 hour work week sounds to good to me.
Best of luck! I bet you wake up feeling awesome! Like Drew, I like my job, but 40 hours seems excessive (even though it’s standard). It’s just too much time away from home and family. I’d love a 25-30 hour week eventually.
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I love 40 hrs a week, in fact I usually put in more, I am a self-confessed workaholic…
I actually like my job (love would be too strong) or at least I did. For me it’s more about who I work for. I can learn any job, and it’s the learning that keeps me engaged. I work for a very large corporation, we have good benefits, bonuses etc.
And here’s the “but”:
My manager (who is by far one of the greatest people I’ve ever known) went on maternity leave. They replaced her with an under-qualified-lazy-gossipy-good-for-nothing. (There’s more, but I won’t elaborate except to say something fishy is going on when a VP will promote his secretary to manager in a field she has no experience in.)
So I’m reluctantly on the hunt (within the company, I’m only a year away from the yearly share payouts), I was looking forward to the growth potential of my job, but the leadership change has effectively murdered my development prospects.
Networking really does work, I’ve got a couple of opportunities on the line.
The job I held previously would have been considered abusive if it had been a relationship and yet I stuck that out for 4 pointless years, so I’ll never make the mistake of sticking around hoping it will get better again.
Good on you for knowing when to get out!
Jack, I commend you on breaking free from a job that was holding you back! Quitting a job can be a bold move, and one that can bring fears and uncertainties. That you are tackling this head on is a testament to your strong belief in what matters for you. Excellent!
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Wow! I have a few jobs in my life where the pain point got so painful I HAD to leave. Some working environments are just toxic. Some people and groups of employees are gossipy and unbelievable. Would love a follow-up to this post.
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Hey Jack!
In retrospect, I saw pretty much every sign you listed except for Signs 6 & 8 (I don’t care too much about benefits and I work in-town) when I was working at Wal-Mart. Financially speaking, I should have put in my 2-weeks notice. However, I felt I should pull the plug on it ASAP before I end up working there forever.
Now, I’m going to start up an anime review website in order to generate passive income. I plan on creating more websites, but I feel that I must do it one at a time so that I don’t get overloaded with work.
TheAndySan
http://www.theandysan.com
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I think reasons 1, 10 and 11 are the biggest ones. Certainly that more or less sums up why I left my last job. When you just dont dig it, I don’t see the point in continuing.
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Congratulations on a new adventure. However for me, I try not to let a job define so much that it makes me absolutely miserable. Maybe I am just lucky with the job I have. I am an accountant and do not find much passion or excitement in this career. However, I believe that you should work to live not live to work.
So with that being said, the 35 – 40 hours I spend in a week to be able to pay for the things I truly love is worth the sacrifice.
Dave Jones, CPAs last blog post..Three Things I am Thankful For!
Yea, 40 hours a week is way too much. What do hunter gathether tribes work everyday, something like 3 hours a day? That is what I want. We need to go back to the basics…
Of course, keep in mind, I am at entry level in every field possible. Changing jobs is much easier for someone like me who is not really losing anything.
Thanks for the comments guys!
- Jack Rugile
Simple Sapien
I’ve been at my job for a 1 year 1 month. I took the job with certain expectations assuming there would room for growth & creative. Sure I’m an assistant but I thought I’d have the opportunity to learn a great deal about marketing and have a creative outlet. WRONG! It’s rather pushing paper and whole lot of busy work and corporate politics. I can’t stand it. My co-workers are lame, I don’t have much in common with any of them. Eventhough I’m living on my own and pay rent, I am willing to move back home with my mom and ride it out. My only concern is the economic state the country is in. With everyone around me practly losing their jobs, I’m here contemplating quitting. Should I wait until the economy gets better and there’s more demand for employees? What should I do, please help!
P.S. I do have a part time job with the option of accruing as many hours as I’d like. Although the pay sucks and there are no benefits, I enjoy it regardless.
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I thought this list was very nicely put together. I would of also included that if meeting and having sex with new recruits was at the centre of your job, then its time to move on.
Very nice list. I think everybody can relate to at least five of these symptoms. Kudos again.
Well put together. I’d also include being involved in something you believe is morally or ethically wrong, even if it’s not illegal. It’s said the highest concentration of psychiatrists is around Washington DC. If true that’s no accident.