To Quit or Not to Quit: 10 signs you should leave your job

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By lady luck


If you haven't made your mind up about quitting, try my ten tips


Know when to jump ship--before the ship sinks

We've all faced the tough decision of deciding whether or not we should quit our jobs. I know I've googled " Should I quit my job?" recently.

Quitting your job is definitely something you should think long and hard about. If you do decide to quit your job, leave your company the right way.

Those experiencing that daunting feeling that you might need to quit your job, I suggest job hunting NOW, on the down-low, so you can keep your options open, and potentially find a new job, before you get the pink slip.

Here are 10 signs that it's time to quit your job (from my experience):

10. You've recently felt so stressed out at work, that you are turning into an emotional employee. This is a huge sign that your current job is not working for you. I recently burst into tears at work, in front of my manager, and now I regret it. Before you get to your breaking point, be aware of your stress levels, if they become unmanageable, look for a new job ASAP, before your emotions get the best of you, and you get fired.

9. Time drags. Hopefully all of you have experienced working in a position where time flew, either because you had so much fun doing your job, or because you had enough work that was important enough, in your eyes, to keep you busy. If you find yourself bored at work, this is a huge sign that your career has turned into " just a job".

8. You get pigeonholed into a few tasks that you do really well at. This has happened to me before, and I've seen this happen to co-workers. When you get labeled a "specialist" or an "expert" in something, you're always the first up for those tasks you're known for being good at, and your boss, and co-workers will fail to see that you're competent at doing anything else. Thus, the scope of your job becomes mundane and you are deprived of developing new skills and getting new projects to show off your abilities.

7. For one reason or another you've become angry and bitter towards your job, your boss, or a few of your not-so-favorite co-workers (or all of the above). Believe me, I can think of at least one co-worker who fully admits to being very sarcastic, and has even said she notices people think she's being serious, when she's really just being bitter. Either way, people have started to talk about her in a negative manner, even though her skill set is above and beyond the other co-worker in her group. Before you end up getting complained about, realize that even when you're being sarcastic, and some might find it funny, others are taking it seriously. I've found that having a sense of humor in the work place is not worth it.

6. You've had a spat with a co-worker that escalated into more of a fight and the entire office knows. This has happened to me, and let me tell you, even though we were both in the wrong, because I decided to get defensive, I am more to blame for trying to be "right". Years later, I still hear about it, and I was lucky I wasn't fired. Maybe you're conflict with a coworker isn't as severe, but if you had to have a manager mediate the conflict, its probably a good sign you should start job hunting. You may not experience any immediate consequences, but trust me, it will be remembered. A little disagreement however, that turns into a small spat, should be worked through. This is common and easily fixable. Be professional and do whatever you have to in order to "put the flames out".

5. You're having a difficult time financially. We're all there right now, so you can't feel bad. The economy sucks and it's hard for all of us. However, also bare in mind that no matter how much you make, it never seems to be enough. If you have spent time revising your budget, have tried to get small side jobs, feel that a second job is impossible, and you are still having trouble making ends meet, I suggest you start looking for a higher-paying position. Money isn't everything, but when you're consistently stressing out about it, action is needed.

4. You've caught whim of a "reorganization", you know of any large budget cuts happening, or your company has recently been bought or sold. The above aren't necessarily signs that you should jump ship, rather, signs that there are going to be big changes ahead. If you feel that these changes are going to affect you or your position in a negative way, I would recommend looking for jobs in your spare time to be prepared in case "the axe falls".

3. Your co-workers are have been acting differently around you. You may have at one point had a good amount of office "friends" but lately, you've had the feeling you're being avoided, people seem less patient with you, no one goes out of their way to chat with you and so on. This could be a sign that there is office gossip going on about you, or that you did something, to someone to piss you off. This won't immediately be anything other than puzzling and annoying, but if your co-workers hate you, it could fester into something much larger and don't be surprised if your boss writes that you "aren't a team player" on your next review.

2. Your boss has been acting differently around you. Be cautious in assessing your bosses behavior, it may not be an indicator something is wrong and could be something that doesn't concern you like higher ups giving them a hard time, or they could be dealing with their own personal stress. I always advise people not to take how their boss acts towards them personally, however, there are some obvious signs that you're in deep doo-doo with your boss. For example, if your boss is all of a sudden on your case, micromanaging almost to the point where your workload is unmanageable, you're faced with unreasonable deadlines and you feel like you're getting set up for failure. If your boss has chewed you out about seemingly trivial things, recently and frequently, this is a sign that the eagle eye is focused on you. Your boss pulling you aside into their office beyond your regular weekly time is usually not a good sign. And finally, if you're getting assigned mostly busy work, and unchallenged projects, your boss may have lost trust in you.

1. You have the gut feeling that you might need to quit for one reason or another. Trust your instincts if you're feeling uncomfortable at work. If you feel like your position has been tarnished beyond repair, or if you have been sensing something bad is going to happen at work, that feeling isn't paranoia, it's your gut feeling that it's time to move on, and you should listen.

If you're feeling undecided about whether or not to quit your job, I can't say it enough, start job hunting quietly, NOW, that way, if something does happen at work, you have options. There is nothing worse than staying in a rocky position for too long, and having to leave on your employers terms and not by your own better judgement.

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John Chancellor profile image

John Chancellor  says:
2 years ago

Lady, I would urge everyone to read #6 again. Our desire to be right can cause us lots of problems in all parts of our lives - not just on the job. We all would be well advised to give up our right to be right.

I have often been asked to help someone decide if they should quit their job. Over the years I have developed a definition of a good job. It is quite simple. If you wake up in the morning and can't wait to get to work, you have a good job. The more you dislike going to work, the more you need to examine your feelings and probably start looking.

Studies have shown that something like 80% of employees are not happy with their job. So everyone should study this carefully and start looking. As you look, be careful that you don't leave a bad job for a worse job. Learn what is imporant to you and your goals. Companies and managers rarely change. Employment is a relationship. Make sure that the job you take will fit your long term goals.

Inspirepub profile image

Inspirepub  says:
2 years ago

And remember that a traditional "job" doesn't actually suit all that many people. You may need to look at starting a business on the side, or developing a portfolio career, where you havea lot more control over your time and your surroundings, and a much greater sense of self-reliance.

John Chancellor profile image

John Chancellor  says:
2 years ago

Good point, Inspire. I totally agree.

Lissie profile image

Lissie  says:
2 years ago

I used to wake up on Sunday - sad that tomorrow Id have to go back to work! I knew it was time to leave! Crying on the way TO work was another low point too!

Jykeith Comal profile image

Jykeith Comal  says:
2 years ago

I saw your comment. Cant we play nice miss lady.... :) o yeah, I bought my laptop, I'm baaaaaaaaaack. I still got love for you though........

Jykeith Comal profile image

Jykeith Comal  says:
2 years ago

I saw your comment. Cant we play nice miss lady.... :) o yeah, I bought my laptop, I'm baaaaaaaaaack. I still got love for you though........

GG  says:
8 months ago

I wish I had read this before I lost my last job. I HATED it and I was miserable even though I kept being commended on a great job performance from our grant holders. I wanted to quit, but wasn't sure that I should. I had a bad feeling about the place and I was soon blind sided by my boss who got into major trouble. She lied on me, set me up and got me fired. I should have listened to my gut. I knew something bad was going to happen. I just never thought it would happen to me.

gutsy  says:
8 months ago

I am in this kind of situation right now, I am only in the first year of my job and really loved what I'm doing, I made a lot of friends and they loved me well, unfortunately, I have a master's degree and most of the people who works in the company even they have been more senior in the company had only bachelor's (even my boss). A few people however were noted to be distant and does nothing but gossips other people. Someone tried to spot a small pin and destroyed my credibility to my boss. Almost every week, my boss would call me in her office and I would always recieve constant criticism instead of positive remarks. I know I am doing well in my work and for the many many years Ive been in this career, this was the first time something really hit me like this....I am currently seeking better opportunity, and even though my heart cries out for leaving the kind of work I do, I won't still regret it.

ontheway profile image

ontheway  says:
8 months ago

knowwhentoquityourjob

very good, I support you, come on , welcome to my hub!

sarah  says:
7 months ago

Just what I needed to read. My current job situation falls within all the above mentioned except for 6, 4 and 3. I thought maybe I was being a little too dramatic and making things worse than they really are but when you cry going to work and cry leaving work, develop medical issues and put on medication due to stress and anxiety, then it's time to go. No job and no amount of money is worth ruining your health. The economy and job market might be bad but right now, I wouldn't mind flipping burgers if it meant mental and physical improvement.

hot dorkage profile image

hot dorkage  says:
7 months ago

I quit a job 2 yrs ago. By ur guidelines I was yes only to 10,9, and 8. I liked the boss, he was a rare good boss. I got along with nearly everyone and there were plenty of reorgs even then but our group was tagged indispensible but I just absolutely HATED it pure and simple.

emievil profile image

emievil  says:
4 months ago

I quit my first job ten years ago because I got so stressed out and emotional that I cry for no reason at all. Fortunately, I just cried in front of my then boyfriend, not my boss or officemates. But I was really unhappy with my job. Seven months after my first day on that job, I quit. But, I returned after a year and a half because I felt I was more mature to take it on and I wanted to see if I can make another go for it. The second time was a lot better, I stayed for 8 years =) and I only left because I had to (family problems and all), not because I wanted to.

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