When to Leave Your Job

I've written before that crafting a satisfying career is an art as much as a science.  Rachel at I Hate HR (and no, she doesn't really hate HR) demonstrates this art in her recent posting Know When to Fold ''Em.  She discusses 4 signs that it may be time to look for a new job - even in a volatile economy.

I really like her point to leave when mentors and trusted advisors tell you to. She clarifies by saying:

"Don’t listen to your friends that will tell you to quit your job every time you complain. Listen to the trusted advisers who tell you when it’s in your best interest for your career for you to leave. If you don’t have someone like this in your life right now get one."

I would add that another good reason to leave is when you can no longer learn something new and grow in how you can contribute to an organization.  This goes hand in hand with having good mentors who can help you figure out how you can best use your skills to make a positive difference. 

 

Comments

[Rachel - I Hate HR]

I love to read quotes of myself and think "jeez that was really smart of me."

[David B. Wright]

Hitting the learning wall is indeed a good reason to seek better opportunities. If you want upward advancement in your career, and aren't getting the additional knowledge and experience that will help you get to where you want to be, perhaps it is time to seek an opportunity (either in a different role within your company or with a new company).

If you are looking for a new opportunity, perhaps my book can help.

To your success,

David B. Wright
Author, Get A Job! Your Guide to Making Successful Career Moves
http://www.thegetajobbook.com
http://jobs.therecruiterslounge.com

[Kelly O]

It's so easy to get caught in that trap of listening to "good friends" who advise you to quit every time things get difficult or challenging in some way. (I have a resume that needs some help thanks to that.)

Any idea on how to address that in cover letters/interviews/on the resume? I mean short of saying "so I did something ridiculous and listened to people who didn't know what they were really talking about?"

[William Mitchell, CPRW]

Some jobs/situations are just so stressful that it begins to affect one's health. My wife and I agreed that she would quit her job in October of '08, even though we were on the verge of a recession.

You can always get a new job, but sometimes when your health goes, the damage is permanent.

[Career Search]

Thanks, I really appreciate your willingness to help out. I will definitely keep you posted!

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I love to read quotes of myself and think jeez that was really smart of me

[en yeni oyunlar]

You can always get a new job, but sometimes when your health goes, the damage is permanent.

[Generic Viagra]

I feel so much sympathy for this post. I hate HR too. Well, there's no need to speak in general terms, but sometimes people in Human Resourses can be really mean.

[rudraksha]

yes. satisfied job is an art.
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[adultpornomovies]

I could have done about it, especially after the

[wow gold]

There truly must be a balance between top-down and bottom-up, but that doesn't mean they have to be "equal." In our experience so far (we're 5 months into our Clearspace implementation), we have seen rapid growth and adoption. The model we've adopted is heavily weighted toward bottom-up, but we've overlaid it with a loose governance structure.

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You can always get a new job, but sometimes when your health goes, the damage is permanent.

[Cambridge satchel]

The model we've adopted is heavily weighted toward bottom-up, but we've overlaid it with a loose governance structure.