7 Things to Remember Before Quitting Your Job
A job is a sure-shot way to a risk-free, stable income life. Right after graduation, you start searching for jobs, in the quest for stabilizing your life and paying monthly bills and saving up for the future. If you look around, you will see that majority of the people you know are doing the job.
But a job has its own set of drawbacks as well. While it helps you pay off your monthly expenses and allows you a better planning for the future and for your retirement, doing a job means working for someone. Doing a job means having to limit yourself to the opportunities that are given to you. Many a time you are stuck up in jobs which you detest. You have to drag yourself to the office daily but you cannot just give in to your impulse and quit it.
Quitting a job isn’t as easy as it sounds. As exciting as it may seem, it can be equally nerve-wracking. Quitting a job from a place you have known for a long time now and deciding to let go of that can be terrifying. A new place, new people and you don’t know how well will you adjust and adapt to the new environment. Before you decide to throw in the reigns, here are a few things you should remember:
1. Thinking It Through
Many a times, you decide to jump ship when your current job starts to make you feel inadequate or when you are frustrated. Never quit a job in the heat of the moment. Before taking a decision to quit, take the time to think it through. Ask yourself why do you really want to quit? If there’s something which has been bothering you, discuss it with your manager. Try and find a solution before you actually quit.
2. Identify Your Purpose
Before calling it quits, discover what is your true purpose behind doing so? Is there something about the current job that doesn’t match your career and life aspirations? Does your current job limit you in any way? Identifying what you actually want from a job should be done before quitting it.
3. Your Employer’s Take
It is important to know how your employer will take your decision to quit the job. One easy way to find that out Is to find out how did your employer tackle previous resignations. Give him a chance to address your issues, if that’s how your employer tackles resignations.
4. What is the Cost of Quitting?
It is important that you know what would be the cost of quitting your present job. How soon will you be getting a new job, if you already don’t have one at the time of quitting?
5. Your Data Back-Up
If quitting your current job is what you have finally decided to go ahead with, make sure you remove all personal data or important contacts from your office computer. All your data, especially work related data which you can use in your portfolio should be backed up.
6. Inform Your Colleagues
While not everyone you work with needs to know of your decision, but colleagues whom you work closely with should be informed. They have been a major part of your life for the time you were with the current company and you do share a personal rapport with some of them. Inform them.
7. Be Professional
Whatever the circumstances might be which made you quit, remember you are a professional at the end of the day. Honor your commitments to your current employer and depart with dignity.
A decision such as quitting a job is not an easy one and should be thoroughly thought through. These pointers should help you take the right decision.