13 Reasons to Say “I Quit:” Should you go or should you stay?

Last Sunday, the President of the United States announced he was not running to be re-elected. It’s somewhat analogous to an embattled corporate CEO telling his shareholders and board he or she would not seek renewal of his or her employment contract.

Many of us reach a point in our career where we want to leave a job. Sometimes, we face a specific problem such as a “bad boss,” threats or harassment, low pay, or onerous policies. Perhaps we feel that “the grass is greener on the other side.”

Unlike the President, we don’t have a coterie of expert advisors to help us figure out the problem. Instead, we have to make our own decision, perhaps with help from family members, friends, or a coach.

The first step is to assess the reason — or reasons — why you want to make a change. Change can be difficult — it usually is — so you want to make sure that the reason you are considering a switch isn’t something temporary that will fix itself, if given enough time. For example, a “bad boss” may leave, or a strict attendance policy could change.

Reasons why you may be considering a job or career change can include:

1. How you feel about going to work. Do you dread going to work on Monday? Do you start feeling anxious or depressed on Sunday afternoon as you anticipate the upcoming workweek? Do you find yourself complaining about your job to others?
2. You feel physically or emotionally threatened at work. If you are in danger physically or psychologically at work, you should start developing your exit strategy. Sadly, workplace harassment, and even violence, are not unheard-of, so don’t ignore your gut feeling if you think something is very wrong.
3. Your skills are becoming obsolete. Technology has had a dramatic impact on almost every industry, and if it’s affecting your job, you may find you have a gap in the skills you need to be successful in doing your work. Consider whether short-term training or certification may help, or whether only returning to school or changing careers will change the situation.
4. You are overwhelmed by your job. If you find yourself constantly worried at work because you can’t handle the responsibilities of the role, or you didn’t get enough training to help you master critical tasks, that can make it very difficult to enjoy your work. You may not have articulated it, but you’re overwhelmed.
5. You’re bored at work. Maybe you’ve been in your position for several years and you’re just not excited anymore about the work you’re doing. If you’re not growing in your job, it’s easy to start thinking about doing something else.
6. There is little to no room for advancement in your current job. Maybe you’ve worked your way up to the top spot you can get in the company. This is especially true in smaller companies, or family businesses, where a limited number of management positions are available. The top jobs may not be open to outsiders in a family business even if the non-family-member is eminently qualified.
7. How you feel about your co-workers and/or boss. Do you like the people you work with? Are you appreciated for the work you do? (This can be expressed in either a “thank you” or in your financial compensation.) Remember that bosses and co-workers could leave, so give this possibility some thought before making a move.
8. If your job requires you to do something that you no longer enjoy doing. For example, traveling four out of five days of the week might have been fine when you were in your 20s, but it’s wearing on you now that you’re in your 30s and have a family.
9. You researched competitive salaries for your type of job and discovered that your company pays less than the industry median. If you’ve previously asked for a raise and were turned down, you may be motivated to seek out better compensation elsewhere.
10. There is little or no opportunity for increasing your salary significantly in your current position. Are there opportunities to increase your salary much beyond 2-5% annually? This is common when you have reached the top of the pay range for your job title and have no promotion opportunities.
11. You realize you’re not getting any younger. If the thought of working for this company for another year — or five years — makes you feel your mortality, it may be time to make a change to a different path.
12. What you’re doing now isn’t your passion. Is there an opportunity for you to turn something you’re doing as a hobby into a full-time job? Or could you start a business of your own — either doing something related to your current work, or a current hobby or interest?
13. You have a different plan for yourself. Maybe you didn’t see yourself staying at this job, or in this career, for this amount of time. If your long-term goals aren’t aligned with what you’re doing now, it may be time for a change.

External factors—events at your company—also can impact your need or desire to change jobs. For example, when you are downsized, the decision to leave has been made for you.

You may benefit in some cases if you wait until the company lets you go instead of leaving on your own. When this happens, you could receive government unemployment benefits as well as severance pay from your employer. You won’t get these benefits when you say “I quit” in most cases. The bottom line here is that, at some point in your career, you will want to move on. The grass may or may not be greener elsewhere, so give the situation a lot of thought.