Should I Quit my Job – 4 Reasons for Resignation
Making the decision to quit a job can be a pivotal moment in anyone’s career journey. It’s akin to stepping into a job interview with yourself, assessing your current job satisfaction, career goals, and opportunities for professional growth.
This honest and candid personal assessment often leads to tough questions: should you stay in a role that you’ve grown to love, or should you pursue what you’re passionate about, even if it means leaving your current position?
To help you decide when it’s time to change your job, Citadel Search surveyed 127 candidates on the top motivation factors for leaving a job.
Our analysis revealed that the primary driving factor was a lack of prospects for career progression. Interestingly, 30% of candidates indicated that organizational culture was another prime reason to change jobs. Money, though often assumed to be a significant motivator, was only the third factor. This insight highlights the complexity of job satisfaction and the multifaceted nature of career decisions, thus, the reasons for resigning from their jobs tends to be multi-prong.
1. Career Advancement and Professional Growth:
Leaving a job often revolves around the pursuit of career advancement and professional growth. It’s akin to preparing for a job interview with oneself, where individuals assess their current position’s alignment with their career goals and aspirations.
Recognizing the need for upward mobility and skill development, individuals embark on a quest for better opportunities that offer a clearer career path. They may seek positions with a potential employer that provides greater chances for long-term growth and fulfillment, aligning with their desired career trajectory and personal aspirations.
This is THE number one reason for making a move. Over the course of our 18 years in the headhunting and executive search business, Citadel Search has interviewed thousands of candidates, they usually confess their motivations for leaving is: Progression. It is usually this insatiable appetite to grow that propels people. This is no doubt, a very legitimate reason, in the spirit of pursuit for excellence for better growth opportunities.
So potentially, you have got to honestly ask yourself if you are learning on the job? Are there still quite a lot of opportunities to learn? Did I have an honest conversation with my Manager to seek for learning opportunities? It really does not have to be outside the organisation. It could be a lateral progression and not necessarily an upward direction. Until you answer these questions honestly, then you should really not resign.
2. Company Culture and Job Satisfaction:
According to Citadel Search’s Insight Survey, 30% of candidates we interviewed mentioned that they wanted to change jobs either because there was a lack of culture fit or that there was toxicity in the company that impacted their performance.
A toxic or unsupportive company culture can also significantly impact job satisfaction, leading individuals to contemplate leaving their current employment. They may identify red flags such as poor communication, lack of recognition, or a misalignment with the company’s values. In such scenarios, the decision to leave becomes a reflection of the individual’s commitment to their well-being and professional fulfillment. Consulting with mentors or previous employers can shed light on the importance of finding a workplace where one feels valued and supported, ultimately guiding the decision-making process regarding when to quit their job and seek opportunities elsewhere.
One candidate shared with us his reason for leaving was a seriously toxic workplace where there is constant power play and shouting matches. He could not take the toxicity and his mental wellness was at stake. He preferred to terminate his employment than suffer another day of high adrenaline charged workplace. A negatively charged workplace affects one’s well being and he did not want to bring the negativity home and take it out on his family members.
This is indeed a no brainer, we totally support why you should quit your company. It is time to part company. You certainly can invoke the whistle-blowing policy but will you want to stay one more day to watch the proceedings? Hence, whenever, your job satisfaction is on the negative spectrum and you know you cannot control these external influences, then take your bag and move out! If not for your sanity, it is also for your family!
3. Work-Life Balance and Personal Well-being:
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is essential for overall well-being and happiness. When individuals feel overworked, stressed, or unable to prioritize their personal lives, they may consider leaving their current job. It’s about recognizing the right time to move on and prioritize self-care, even if it means parting ways with a potential employer.
This weigh heavily on those who are heavily invested in the company. If you have built a legacy, built your team, built your reputation, even built the business. In fact, you define yourself synonymously with the company. You have sacrificed a large part of yourself, your time burning days, nights, holidays. You have to remember all is dust, you can’t bring this with you. You are in danger zone, if your narrative is the business is you. Putting your well-being at stake for too long a period is unsustainable.
When is it too much?
A wake-up call happens when your health makes a U-turn; or you feel you are estranged from your friends and family. When you feel you are uncomfortable at home, or your family call you out as a “stranger?” A senior candidate once shared, she was so embarrassed that she had become socially awkward with her close family as she missed so many significant milestones in their lives and even the funeral wake of a family member.
Deciding to leave can involve weighing the impact on personal relationships and overall quality of life against the potential for professional growth. Through introspection and careful consideration of their skill set and career goals, individuals navigate the decision-making process with the aim of achieving greater balance and fulfillment in both their personal and professional lives.
Don’t let guilt eat you up instead make an honest assessment and be cognizant of the personal tension in your life. Is this a good reason for leaving my job? Where are my priorities? More importantly, is this lifestyle sustainable?
4. Mismatched Skills and Career Goals:
A fundamental reason for leaving a job often stems from a mismatch between an individual’s skills, interests, and career goals, and the demands of their current role. This realization prompts the question: should I leave my job to pursue opportunities that better align with my strengths and passions?
It’s about recognizing the importance of finding a role that not only utilizes one’s skill set but also offers opportunities for growth and advancement in line with their long-term career objectives. By evaluating the reasons for leaving and considering the potential for professional growth with a potential employer, individuals navigate the decision-making process with clarity and purpose, ultimately striving to achieve greater fulfillment and success in their careers.
How will this affect you?
When there is a career mismatch, one often brings half of oneself to work. Or you just feel out of your skin. We recall a candidate had to keep justifying herself to us that it was not because she could not stay long in the current job but it was a real mis-match. She thought at first, she could learn some of the new skills that new job offered but when she was made to do less engagement with people but more back office work, she just felt she only brought 30% of herself to work instead of 200% of herself. This again is not sustainable even though one may convince oneself to tolerate for a while but after a while, the dishonesty bites. You do not want to be a fish out of water for too long! This is another good reason for leaving your job.
It is true that if you are passionate about the work you are doing, it doesn’t feel like work anymore. However, the clearest sign that you need a change is how you feel about the work you’re doing every day. Do you dread going to work in the morning or feel like you are staring at the clock all day just watching the minutes tick by? Do you feel unhappy, demotivated, or uninterested most times while working? Are you in your true north? Don’t be in denial about your feelings – they’re pointing you to a very real situation that needs to be dealt with. It’s never too late to take a step towards the work you’ve always thought about doing.
Conclusion
In wrapping up, making the decision to leave a job is like choosing a new adventure in your career journey. It’s about spotting that shiny new job opportunity and realizing it’s time to take a leap. When you decide it’s time to move on, it’s good to give your previous job a heads up with a friendly resignation letter and serve out your notice.
Chatting it over with your family members or seeking advice from the hiring manager can add some extra clarity to your decision-making process. You will be surprised how often we tell candidates that they are in a good place and should not resign. But we always respect their personal decision.
Remember, leaving a job isn’t always a sad thing – it’s often the next step in your career path towards something even better. Choose the next job carefully though. Don’t just make knee-jerk decision to leave your job. Consider these factors we have outlined above whether you should really leave your job. As long as you’ve got a good reason for leaving, put on a smile, you’re ready to tackle whatever comes next!
Contact us and see if we can find you a match, whether you are a company or a candidate. Also check out our job board for the latest job postings, you never know this may be where your career begins.