As a coach and career success strategist, I am sometimes asked whether I have any guidelines around the right time to quit or change jobs.
As a prudent coach and advisor, I am always worried about giving advice without context. For one, it tends to be very generic - and therefore not very useful. Secondly, there is genuine risk of someone taking it seriously and acting upon it without giving due consideration to whether it applies to their situation.
On other hand, any advice that transcends personal context might be considered a principle. So what I would like to offer below are best taken as general principles. However, like all principles, application needs to be determined after applying the filters of relevance and practicality.
With that preamble, here are my principles for determining when you should consider changing or quitting your job:
When you are not learning anything new. When the job is not challenging you any more, and you feel you are not growing your skills and capability.
When your job does not align with your values or beliefs. If, for example, the products you are selling or the process you are applying has personal, social or ecological impact that you do not wish to support.
When the organisation no longer feels right for you. This could be because the organization’s strategy or business model constrain your ability to create the impact you wish to create. Alternately, it might be the culture or climate within the organization - which has gradually changed (or your perspective has), and you find it too political or even toxic, which suffocates you.
When you sense there is no future for you within the organization. This might be because there is no headroom for someone with your credentials, skills, and experience, and the only way to grow is to leave. Sometimes, the business or industry is at the sunset stage, and quitting is better than waiting for the inevitable.
When you feel discriminated against or disadvantaged, and there is no recourse. This might take the shape of favouritism, nepotism, regionalism, racism - and a number of other discriminatory practices. Or it might simply be that the pay and benefits are significantly lower than you would expect elsewhere, and there are no mitigating considerations like learning opportunities or a sense of purpose to hold you back.
When your work and/or your colleagues sap your energy and cause undue stress. You spend a significant part of your day at work, and your workplace environment and relationships have a significant impact on your physical and emotional well-being.
When you find yourself hating the prospect of going to work. When disengagement creeps in, and when everyday feels like Monday, it is time to consider a change.
These briefly, are my guidelines on when you should consider quitting or changing jobs. However, as I have previously stated, you need to use the filters of relevance and practicality, and assess how these principles apply in your specific situation.