Should I Quit My Job

Should I Quit My Job – 11 Critical Questions to Ask Yourself

"Should I quit my job" has been playing in your mind far too often lately. It takes courage to quit especially when you aren’t even sure what you really want.

Most of us have been there. The signs maybe pointing to you having to quit your job but you just aren’t sure. What are some of the criteria you should put on your list when you are considering to quit your job?

1. The Two Year Rule
When you ask - should I quit my job? My first question back to you would be - Have you served at least two years in this current company? My two year rule is based on the rationale that it takes at least 24 months before you can get into the system of a company before you start to really impress and make a solid contribution.

For the first six months you are likely to get on board, the next six, figure out the people, process, systems, and then you have the next 12 months to start making solid contributions. If you have at least served that long, it’s fair to ask "should I quit my job" and consider quitting when there is a trigger for that thought.

2. Exception To The Two Year Rule
Of course there are exceptions to this two year rule, for example, you know deep inside you just made the wrong choice of company. Work is totally different from what you had expected. My personal experience? Jumping from an advertising agency to a software company! I did not even ask anyone else should I quit my job.

3. Have You Tried To Reclaim Your Job?
Is the nature of your job changing? Not in the way your role has changed. In the way that everything has remained the same but demands have increased with fewer resources. You are just drained out. In which case, have you tried to manage those demands? Raise it through proper channels?

The same job or more but you are given fewer resources? Again, have you tried to raise these? If you have and there is nothing the management is doing, perhaps it is time to rethink. It is then not a question of capability but capacity. There is only so much a person can do.

4. Have You Tried To Rediscover Your Passion For Your Job?
When you are thinking "should I quit my job?", is it a question of being mentally tired and perhaps even a little bored with your current job. Maybe it is still challenging, it’s one of those equivalent to a "seven year itch" phenomenon. You just want a change for the sake of a change? If that is the case, then you need to rediscover your career passion. Ask yourself if this is truly why you feel the way you feel – change for the sake of changing. Then what you need is not to quit. It is to rediscover your passion.

5. Are You Happy With Other Aspects Of Your Life?
If you are unhappy with other aspects of your life, it is easy to blame it on work. Think if you are unhappy with other aspects of your life and you are using work as an easy target?

Do not expect work to bring you happiness if other aspects of your life are just plain unhappy. Quitting your job in this case will not work. Be certain that it is work unhappiness that is nudging you to quit.

6. Is Work The Only Thing In Your Life?
Related to the above, you absolutely have nothing else in your life but work. You have no social life, you do not like any form of exercise, you have no religious inclination, and you do not even have a hobby. Do you hate the balance you have now?

Perhaps you are looking for something new to fill your life to balance it so to speak. Again, if that is the case – look deep and if the reason you ask the question "Should I quit my job?" is due to this, the quitting your job won’t help.

7. Do You Work Under Toxic Leaders And Stupid Bosses?
Many people out there quit due to bosses - specifically, stupid bosses that provide toxic leadership. They aren’t mutually exclusive. If you do work under these types of bosses, then it is one big reason to quit. There is no need to fight the boss or attempt to change the boss or the leadership. Business isn’t a democracy and people do not change easily. The wiser way is to seek greener pasture.

The culture is draining your energy? If leadership fails, you can almost be sure the culture will be bad too. Colleagues are not close, bosses fight against each other, it’s just a cut throat and back stabbing environment. If that is the case and coupled with the toxic leadership, do not attempt to swim against a tsunami. No matter how hard you try, how positive you are, you are just going to fail. Quitting may only be the answer.

8. Work Is No Longer Challenging
You know you have more experience than is required for the job. The work is no longer challenging for you and you get a feeling that you are rotting at work. It is even difficult to get clear goals, no proper feedback and you have lost control of how work progresses within your roles and responsibilities. There seems to be a breakdown somewhere and you cannot seem to pin point it even after discussing with your immediate superior.

So much so, even with a job description – you are no longer clear about your role and responsibilities. When that happens and you ask, "Should I quit my job?". The answer is likely to be a "Yes."

9. You Are Under Paid
You have done your research and you know you are under paid. You have been asking for a pay raise but all you get are excuses. You know the company is doing well and others are getting an equitable increment except for you. Then it is time to leave.

10. Can You Afford To Do So?
Of course, you need to ask, can you afford to do so? Assuming money is tight and you have a lot of financial obligations, your best plan maybe is to stick it out until you get an offer.

11.There is a Better Offer?
Hey, if there is a better offer and you have answered the questions above sincerely, the answer to "Should I quit my job?" is a resounding, "Yes."

These 11 questions are a guide to help you answer the question "Should I quit my job?". It should help you discover insights into yourself.

More Articles About Job Challenges

I Hate My Job: Do What You Love Or Love What You Do?
Perhaps what is frustrating is that most people who say "I hate my job" do not really know what they want, spend too much time talking and complaining rather than acting upon their dreams or aren’t even ready for the changes that will take place when they change jobs. Maybe it's time to re-evaluate your situation.

I Hate My Work: What Does It Take To Change Jobs?
Should you even change jobs when you catch yourself saying, “I hate my job”? Frankly, I do not have the answer, but what I will attempt to do here is to show you that the path to changing jobs is not a linear one. Finding that answer is a painful path because of the uncertainty that it takes you. Having quit from my job twice to dabble in two very different fields has taught me that there are no clear one-stop answers.

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