By Donna Fuscaldo, Glassdoor.com
With the job market unforgiving, it may seem completely insane to quit your job. After all, no one wants to end up in the unemployment line. While burning a bridge is always a ‘no no’ and leaving without a plan “B” isn’t ideal, there are some reasons to consider bidding adieu to your current job. Here are eight things to think about:
Reason 1: Dread
We’ve all been there at one time or another. That feeling of dread Sunday night because Monday means the start of a new work week at a job you can’t stand. Your dread may be sparked by an annoying boss, catty coworkers, unchallenging work or lack of career advancement, but either way, if you hate your job enough to dread going there it may be time to look for another one. “Hating your job can lead to stress that affects family relationships, your health, and your entire outlook,” says Susan Heathfield, the guide to human resources for About.com. “Wallowing in negative feelings every day will eventually kill you.”
Reason 2: Underpaid
Whether its people getting promoted ahead of you or coworkers making more than you, but doing less, if you feel you are grossly underpaid it could drive you to quit. “If you lack the salary you deserve it starts to gnaw on you and wear on you,” says Joel Garfinkle, author of Getting Ahead: Three Steps to Take Your Career to the Next Level. While quitting without a higher paying job in the back pocket isn’t the ideal move, Garfinkle says for some people it grates on them until they feel their value is so undermined that they get resentful and quit.
Reason 3: You’re on a sinking ship
If the writing is on the wall and there’s a good chance the company you are working for is going to go under, it pays to quit early rather than later. If the company’s woes are related to the economy, you don’t want to be one of many looking for a similar job, says Jeanne Yocum, founder of the blog Succeeding in Small Business. It’s also easier on the psyche to find another job if you are currently employed. “If sales cycles start to stretch out or accounts receivable are piling up or there are other early warning signs, be the first one out the door,” she says.
Reason 4: The relationship with the boss has soured
Nothing is worse than working for a boss who doesn’t like you for whatever reason and there’s nothing you can do to change that. If the relationship is beyond repair and it could end up hurting your reputation and thus your career you can either try to move laterally or cut your losses and find a new job, says Garfinkle.
Reason 5: You’re failing
Whether you are underperforming or blowing the job altogether, hanging on until you are fired is the wrong move to make. If you know you’ve let your boss or coworkers down time and time again or you realize you aren’t cut out for the job, start looking while you’re employed and move on to the next job. “It’s easier to find a new job when you are employed and you can ask the potential employer not to contact your current employer,” says Heathfield. “Do make a commitment to yourself, however, to do a better job in your next job. A string of failed jobs can sink your career.”
Reason 6: You can do it better on your own
In the current job market, many people who lost their job were able to succeed going the self-employment route. But you don’t have to wait for downsizing to give self-employment a whirl. If you offer a service that lends itself to self-employment and think you can perform just as good as the company you work for, Yocum says to go for it. “If you have the skills and experience to provide value in the market, why not go out on your own,” says Yocum.
Reason 7: You’re bored
Going to a job eight hours a day five days a week that is boring can have a major impact on your mental state. If you are unchallenged in your job and there’s no way to take on more responsibilities, it’s a good idea to start looking for a new job, says Heathfield. According to Heathfield, if you stay in a job that isn’t challenging and you aren’t able to continue to develop, you will “forever limit your progress and potential.”
Reason 8: Quality of life
Be it a long commute, you’re starting a family and don’t want to work eighty hours a week or the workplace stress is negatively impacting your health, quality of life issues are a real reason people will quit their job. When you took the job it may have been ok to drive two hours each way to work every day or to work until 10:00 p.m. every night, but if your needs and wants change, then so may your job. “Sometimes lifestyle changes make you reevaluate the company you work for,” says Garfinkle.
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