Many people face problems in their workplace. Quitting a job means sacrificing some luxuries in one’s life. Although it is not the end of the world, many people would still take some time to consider.

However, when you feel so sick of your current job, you would not think of hanging on for another minute. The next thing you would do is to walk out, not even to say good bye to your current colleagues.

Before you do that, take some time to ponder on these questions. If you answer more than 10 ‘Yes’, you can start taking action now.

• Your job is making you physically ill

• You are being asked to do some things which are unethical or illegal.

• You can afford to quit your job now.

• You received a new job offer that is much better than the present job.

• You have fewer responsibilities than before.

• You have been excluded in ‘important’ meetings.

• You have more experience than your job requires.

• You have been neglecting your family because of your job.

• You are weary of your present job, you wanted more responsibilities but know that you won’t get that now.

• You have difficulty in getting along with your co-workers.

• You don’t get along with your boss.

• Your boss does not respect your opinions and always cracks demeaning jokes behind your back.

• You received an unsatisfactory performance review even though you are the star employee.

• You think it is time for a career change because there is nothing much you can contribute to the organization.

• Your current employer instituted many new policies that you are unhappy about.

• You are tired of the long commute to work every morning.

• You didn’t get the promotion you deserved just because you dislike office politics.

• You are sick of your colleagues who endlessly gossip about other people.

• You want to start a small business on your own.

• Your organization has decided to stop paying for the extra allowances you have been receiving.

• Your decisions are often overruled by your boss.

Well, how many “YES” did you get? It is never fun to walk away from a good paying job, especially during the economic slowdown like this. Think if you can get a better offer elsewhere?

Maybe these measures can help you to rethink about your decision to quit.

· Figure out what you like and dislike about your job. Think carefully. This is very important. There is no such thing as you dislike ‘everything’ about your job.

Take your time while listing. It is important that you are relaxed and calm at this moment.

· Check your own attitude. Your attitude may be the source of all ‘evils’ around you. There is no need to point your fingers at anyone when things go wrong. Remember that not every one can tolerate your attitude too. Change your attitude and get on with life!

· Study your boss. Now, even if your boss is well-known as a difficult person to work with, you cannot change your boss unless you change jobs. So, you have to be flexible. Study your boss’ body and spoken language.

Maybe you have not been kind to your boss either. Instead of supporting him with good ideas and proposals, you have decided to go against his wishes. Although you are a capable person, it is not wise to do so while that person is still your boss.

· Make decisions that involve your colleagues. Do not complain against them. Your boss will be happier if you would volunteer to organize an event or two with your colleagues instead of you doing them alone.

Motivate your colleagues instead of laughing at them. You will find that the team works better together. You do not have to be the team leader. Motivated team players are getting more things done than a bossy leader.

· Act as an advocate instead of an adversary. No boss likes to hear the phrase, “It’s impossible” from his staff. This phrase is considered taboo and it shows that you are not motivated to tackle any problems at all.

All bosses like to think that their staffs are capable. They like to think that their staffs are visionaries like them too. Even if the projects failed, at least their staff tried.

· So, you receive an unsatisfactory performance review. What is so bad about that? Find out if the review is accurate. Have a talk with your boss concerning your recent performance. If you think it is truly unfair, talk again to the reviewer. Nobody wants to make others look bad. If the review is true, it is time to take charge of your attitude. It is never too late to change.

· You must not work alone. Always stress on working as a team. When you work in a team, assignments get done easily as everybody is helping one another. Compliment your colleagues for getting their work done. A short compliment goes a long way.

· If you are doing work which you have little interest in, do something about it. Discuss with your boss on how you can contribute value to your team. Your boss will definitely appreciate your effort.

· Difficult to get along with your co-workers? Have you checked your attitude toward them? Have you really taken your time to listen to their opinions? Do you like them at all? Have you complimented them?

Many times, conflicts between co-workers happened because of indifferent attitudes. Check if this is how you treated your co-workers.

· You have been marginalized in many important projects. All right, it hurts to be sidelined for no apparent reason. Discuss with your boss to find out what is going on. There maybe hints from your boss for you to leave the organization. Take them calmly. You make the decision when to leave.

Do not give in to the pressure and quit just like that. Leave in a good way. Like people say, ‘Don’t burn bridges’. You may need their help later on too.

· After a few years of hard work, you have outgrown your job. However, due to your lack of ‘office politics’ skills, you have been left out in the past promotion. You can decide to move on to another organization which offers better pay and fringe benefits. However, you will need to readjust yourself in the new situation all over again. Unless the new offer is too good to resist, you can wait a little longer.

· New policies are always disturbing. However, study the policies carefully. Make sure you know where to channel your dissatisfactions. Do not be agitated when you are presenting your views and arguments to your boss. All bosses want their staffs to accept the policies they implemented. He will listen to your views if you will listen to his reasons.

· If you are ill because of your current work, discuss with your boss and ask for alternatives. When there no other way you can continue working, a change of job is the best option. Leave only after you have received the new job offer.

· When your children grew up without your knowledge, it shows how much you have neglected your family. At this time, slow down and check your priority – work or family. Your children can live on happily without the best of life, but can they be happy without your attention? If spending time with your family is your priority, you can discuss with your boss to handle less projects. If things did not work, you may consider applying for other jobs.

· You have heard so much about people working at home and earning much more than you do. You also want to do the same. A warning here is that, the ‘home based’ job may be easy, but also involves a lot of self motivations and preservations. You will be doing things alone. Nobody will be able to help you.

You know it is difficult to make such a choice. So, sleep over it. Quitting your job in a hurry is not going to help you in any way. Give yourself some time to think clearly before making any decision. Whatever you decide, always believe in yourself!

Frencessca

Frencessca is a freelance writer. She is also a language instructor as well as a business and motivational trainer. Her latest project is a series of English writing modules for young Malaysian learners. Her website is http://freewebs.com/fren123