Careers are difficult to balance. While your job might provide you with a comfortable living, you might dislike the people you work with, you might hate your company’s message, or you might just be sick of the industry your industry. There are plenty of legitimate reasons to quit your job, but you might be making a huge mistake if you haven’t considered all of your options.
Here are five reasons you should not quit your job right now:
1. You Haven’t Figured out What You Want to Do
You’ve probably heard conflicting information over whether or not you should follow your passions. If your passion is art or music, it can be difficult to make a living following your dreams, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible—it just means you have to work much harder to make a living doing it than with other careers.
If you aren’t sure what you want to do with your career yet, you might be better off to stay where you are and “bloom where you’re planted.” Look for opportunities to try new things in your own job. Ask your boss for a new project, and let her know that you’re wanting to try a variety of tasks. If your boss is a true leader, she will help you expand your horizons. If not, then maybe it really is time to quit.
2. You’re Angry or Emotionally Compromised
If you’ve just had an argument with your boss or a fellow employee, then it might be natural to suddenly hate your job.; however, that’s not good enough of a reason to quit. If you’re seriously offended by someone’s comments or feel like your rights have been violated, it’s worth getting in touch with legal advice such as Optimum Employment Lawyers to help you seek justice. Don’t quit your job over a few bad eggs in the workplace, fight for your rights and stand proudly in your corner.
Be careful not to make decisions based strictly on emotion. Don’t just storm out of the office, triumphantly slamming the door in your wake. We all have that fantasy, but the truth is, it burns bridges, massacres your chances at good references, and makes you look immature. Make a rational decision about quitting before you take that plunge.
3. Your Job is Teaching You Something Important
Not every job is ideal–we all know this. Some jobs are less desirable than others, but at the end of the day, anything you do will build character. Even working at McDonald’s can teach you some valuable lessons as long as you’re willing to stay the course and stick with it. It’s not what you do that builds character, but how you do it.
If you’re at the point in your career that you’re going to be miserable in any job for which you’re qualified, jumping ship to another crappy job probably won’t help you. In fact, it could damage your resume. In this case, figure out how to gain more skills so you can change to a different line of work. Colleges and trade schools both offer online classes, so you can work at your own pace when you find pockets of time. It’s tough to work and go to school too, but think of the long term investment—you may never have to flip another burger once you’re done with your education.
4. You Simply Need a Break
Changing jobs is a major stressor. In fact, it makes the top-ten list of stress-inducing life events. If you’re feeling tired, try taking a break and seeing if it makes a difference in how you feel about your job. Take a week off and completely disconnect from work. If it doesn’t help, then you know it’s time to quit.
Related: How to Write a Resignation Letter When You Hate Your Boss
5. Job Opportunities are Scarce in Your Industry or Area
While the job market look positive right now, not all industries have ample opportunities. For example, medical transcription jobs are drying up as doctors move to more automated dictation systems. If you’re in this kind of industry where scarcity is a true reality, staying in your job while you gain new skills is a good idea.
Some areas have more jobs than others, too. If you live in a rural area where finding a job takes months, quitting on the fly is a bad idea until you have another job offer.
The point is, before you tell your boss to take this job and shove it, make sure you’ve thought about your options logically and methodically. You don’t deserve to be unhappy, but you don’t deserve to be broke either!
