When Should You Quit a Job?

Quitting isn't failing

I have quit many jobs in my 10-ish working years, so I have plenty of experience in quitting. I can pass on my lessons so you don’t have to suffer as I did.

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

It’s Killing You

This is probably the best reason to quit a job.

Stress can be seriously bad for you.

I had one job in particular where I was stressed to my limit, friends and family commented that I seemed miserable and looked tired - even on the weekends.

As soon as I quit, my stress melted away and my shoulders were not pressing me into the ground anymore.

Quitting this job, even with no plan was a win for me. 10/10 decision.

You Are Bored

Sometimes you just reach a point where you have seen everything this job has to offer and you need to see more of the world.

That’s totally fine.

Boredom won’t kill you though, so in this situation it’s definitely best to quit once you have something else lined up. Especially as the job market seems to be particularly tough right now.

You Aren’t Growing

This could be the reason you are bored to be fair, so see above.

Signs you aren’t growing:

• You have not learned any new skills for months

• You haven’t been promoted for years

• You can handle pretty much any task you come across without trying

In today’s job market, if you aren’t growing for too long, you could get left behind. You don’t need to be going 1,000 miles an hour all the time, but multiple years of no growth is a bad sign.

You Suck

You aren’t meant to be good at everything, there’s too many things in the world to learn.

I started a PGCE (a teaching qualification) to become a science teacher. I had dreams of being like Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society.

I didn’t actually enjoy teaching lessons as much as my friends on the course. I hated planning lessons, couldn’t control poorly behaved kids and I couldn’t keep up with a modern teacher’s workload, so I quit before second term.

Your Manager Sucks

Some people just aren’t meant to be managers.

They treat you like crap, blame you for the stuff that goes wrong and take credit for what you get right. They don’t help you grow and reach your goals and they just make your life miserable.

It’s not a sign of weakness to leave someone like this, life’s too short.

The Culture Sucks

You might be doing work you love but the company itself is full of pricks who make your life miserable. There’s so many companies in the world, you can and will find a better company.

Don’t take it. Move on. Be happier.

The Money Sucks

Again this is one where you should have a better paying job lined up, because no money at all is a hell of a lot less than whatever they’re paying you now.

The fastest way to get a significant pay rise is either to get promoted or get paid better by a company that values you more.

Jack’s Picks

• Reflections on Palantir
  I am still not sure I trust Palantir with all the data they collect, but this is the most I have been convinced to so far

• A Message From the Past (Thoughts on Nostalgia)
  Maybe things weren’t so great before

• Upgrade your cargo cult for the win
  A very long piece on how difficult it is to do and teach good science

How I Can Help

If you’re interested in coaching to help you get your next role, please reply to this email or comment below