Are you contemplating quitting your job? Are you concerned that you may be fired or laid off if you stay in your job? Or are you just burned out, fed up with a manager you don’t see eye-to-eye with, or needing a break to rest and rejuvenate yourself? Perhaps you finally want to pursue that dream job in that dream industry.
The pandemic has almost universally become a time for people to examine their career and life goals. There is a deep sense in people that there isn’t unlimited time to achieve all your goals, and an overall restlessness is occurring within many individuals. Quitting a job when you don’t have your next opportunity lined up yet is a risk – and the decision one must make is whether the risk is worth taking now.
These are some of the variables you need to weigh before you decide whether or not to leave your current position:
- What are your current financial resources? You will want to understand how long you can realistically take off work before you feel financial pressures. Job searches can be time consuming as companies’ interview processes often last 6-8 weeks.
- If a layoff is potentially forthcoming, it may behoove you to wait to be laid off to take advantage of a severance package and state unemployment benefits. When you resign voluntarily, you will not be offered a severance, nor will you usually be eligible for state unemployment benefits. In addition, you will be paying 100% of your healthcare, which can be very costly.
- If you are concerned that you could be fired because of your relationship with your manager, or if you have received feedback about your performance that leads you to believe that a termination could happen, you may want to consider quitting. Make sure you talk to trusted peers and ask if they would be willing to be references for you. You will want to have references in place as you may need them during the hiring process at your new company. In addition, it is much easier to explain quitting a job than being terminated in your future interviews!
- Make sure you have an interview strategy to explain why you left your job without having another one. You’ll also need to account for what you have done since you left the job, such as any professional development or personal skill enrichment. I have helped hundreds of clients navigate questions about why they left their jobs, and I would like to help set you up for success in your interviews and overcome any objections employers may have about your circumstances.
I offer career coaching to help you make decisions on whether to leave your job or not. In addition, I can assist you with determining the right next steps in your career and the strategy to achieve them.
Let’s talk about your situation! Sign up here to confirm a time to talk to me:
https://calendly.com/frankthecoach/15min
I look forward to hearing from you soon..