Quitting your job when a better opportunity is already secured is an easy decision to make.
However, quitting a job with no immediate assignment lined up can be a challenge, yet certain circumstances sometimes leave us with no options.
Getting to analyze the reasons why you are quitting requires much thinking.
Whether you are triggered by personal or employment reasons, it is important to first counter-check the pros and cons of quitting.
When having the urge to quit, you constantly tell yourself how the next paycheck is your last paycheck.
However, you look at that paycheck when it comes and once again, you tell yourself how it wouldn’t hurt to go in another month.
A month turns to two and before you notice it, it’s a year of you thinking about quitting your job.
If you are thinking of quitting your job, here are a few factors that you should consider before making that decision.
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Transition Plan
Now that you are quitting your job in a month, what are you going to do with your life?
Do you have a plan that would keep you going until you gain your stability?
It is not guaranteed that you will find another job immediately after quitting.
Before getting the job, how are you going to cover most of your expenses?
Maybe you are quitting to move full-time into an existing side business.
Is the business stable enough to sustain you without the ‘guaranteed’ paycheck?
A transition plan is important to help you maintain your financial integrity and achieve your goals.
Dependents
How many people are depending on you?
Maybe you have a family, siblings, or even parents who see you as a breadwinner.
Will quitting sustain all of you?
It might be easier for a person with no dependents to take that risk and quit their job.
After all, they may find a freelancing opportunity that might sustain them.
When you have people depending on you, taking the risk affects everyone.
Before quitting, maybe have a conversation with the people who depend on you.
If there will be a need to cut some expenses in order to sustain everyone, put that on the table.
Your relationship with money
How well can you balance your finances without a job?
Can you afford temporary unemployment?
How are your savings, expenditure, and investment plans?
If you live paycheck to paycheck and don’t have another job lined up, quitting may not be in your best interest just yet.
You may need to take a few more months, persevere, and plan for the dry months ahead.
Analyze your relationship with money and see if there are habits you need to either strengthen or weaken.
What things should you pick from the office?
You may be quitting due to a toxic work environment or burnout or a feeling of lack of appreciation.
However, you need a recommendation letter from your previous job; especially if you will be looking for another job.
You might also need some work samples that might help build your portfolio in the next opportunity.
Have a conversation with your boss. Let them know what you will need from the office.
Before quitting, list the documents that you might need and talk to your boss about getting them.
Communication with your Networks
Sometimes getting a job starts with someone knowing another person or seeing this opportunity and sending them to the person.
Tell the people around you that you are quitting.
They might help you get another job by recommending you.
They may also help you in your transition plan.
What would you be giving up by quitting?
Even though you have decided to quit, some benefits came with working there.
It might have been giving you exposure and improving your skills.
You have to look at all the job benefits and analyze if quitting will be worth it.
It also helps to talk to your boss or the human resource department and let them know how you feel.
What would you be gaining by quitting the job?
Sometimes when the working environment is toxic, you can be emotionally drained to the extent of developing health issues.
In such cases, quitting, if well planned can be your way of taking back your life.
Come up with a list of various benefits that quitting will add to your life before sending that resignation letter.
Perhaps taking a break, like official leave or sick leave can give you time to reflect on what your motivation to quit is.
You may find that a simple change of department, or branch would be a solution to your problems without having to lose your source of livelihood.
Don’t just wake up and quit your job without thinking it through.
You may end up going to beg for your spot back, in a show of surrender and shame!
