A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article about ‘how to be happier at work’ with 10 practical tips for a more balanced working life…
But what happens when this is not enough; when each weekday morning you wake up with a sense of dread? Living for the weekends, you end up wishing your life away!
People say “quitting is for losers.”
But is sticking to a job that you hate for the sake of pride, really the way of winners?
It’s high-time someone stuck up for quitting! And that’s what we’re doing this week.
So behold; 8 perfectly reasonable (even advisable) reasons to quit your job.
1. Your boss is a d*ck.
Yes, in the working world, you’re going to come across people you don’t get on with…
Yes, you should try to work with them…
But there is a line and some “horrible bosses” cross it.
Recruiter Pro Tip It would be impossible to write down every single type of horrible boss out there, but here are three of the worst and most common…
- The Selfish. Do they ring you at all hours and accept you to drop everything to do all sorts of jobs (menial, personal and otherwise)?
- The Bully. Do they shout, scream or even get physically aggressive in front of everyone else? (Click here to find out how to deal with them, now).
- The Liar. Do they keep promising to increase your pay, enhance your skills and/or give you a promotion, without following through?
If you accept this kind of behaviour from your boss, you’re making a rod for your own back.
It’s really up to you to decide whether you can bear the torment of working with your horrible boss, or whether there’s a light at the end of the tunnel (for example, will you eventually out-rank them?).
2. Your colleagues are d*cks.
Again, not everyone will agree with me on this one – because of the whole “you don’t have to like each other, just have to be civil” argument – but I personally think it’s REALLY important to get on with colleagues.
At least on a very basic (even fake) surface level.
If however, you spend your entire week being snipped at, paranoid that people are whispering behind your back, you’re not going to be happy and you’re not going to do your best work.
It’s fine if you can quickly climb the career ladder and/or end up in a different team… it’s not so fine if you’re stuck with them for the long haul – can you imagine trying to manage them?
The frustrating thing is; there are probably some great, friendly people, similar to you out there, just waiting for you to join their business!
3. Your company is unethical.
Some people may feel ok, ignoring the ‘bad bits’ about a company and just getting on with their day job – you just need to assess whether you’re one of them.
If you go home feeling guilty for mugging your customers off (or similar) then it’s probably not the right job for you!
You shouldn’t spend your life feeling bad; you should feel happy and proud.
4. Your company is struggling.
This is a bit of a tough one (and pretty controversial to discuss).
If you bail on your company during the hard times, it is a bit ruthless and you may feel pretty guilty, but sometimes, you just need to be selfish.
Particularly if you’re in a precarious position – not knowing whether you’ll face redundancy – living in constant fear, is NOT good for your mental health!
Weigh things up; if it was a choice between the business and you – who would your employers pick?
5. Your job feels pointless.
Some employers offer the world… autonomy, significance, power.
But then when you actually show up for the job, it becomes clear that you’re just a cog in a machine.
You must fulfil your duties, but nothing more and you’re constantly watched, advised and criticised; any ounce of individuality is stripped away.
That’s fine, if that’s what YOU want from a career.
But if you want more and if creativity, innovation and making a real difference are important to you then you should look elsewhere.
There are plenty of jobs out there for ambitious, creative-thinkers.
6. You feel worthless.
Would your business suffer or even crumble if you were to quit?
Does your boss know that? Or do they ignore your blood, sweat and tears?
Unfortunately, this is a very common problem for managers; they fail to see the importance in rewarding and valuing their amazing staff and so, they lose them.
Take it from me; they will regret it when you go.
7. You’re over-stressed.
You might love your job and you might feel really loyal to a company, but if you spend all of your time hyper-stressed and have no work-life balance you’re eventually going to burn out.
As a first step, you should look for ways to remove stress at work…
Then you should look for ways to deal with the stress…
- "How to Deal with Stress: 33 Tips That Work." The Positivity Blog.
And, if you’re really not coping, you should try to speak to your boss.
If nothing changes, perhaps it’s time to find a new job; in the same area, but with less ridiculous and harmful expectations.
8. You just hate your job.
Do you wake up in the morning, drag yourself out of bed and dread getting into work?
Sometimes, we just end up with a job we don’t like.
Perhaps we misinterpreted the role, took a career gamble that backfired or have simply gotten bored of the same old thing for years.
There’s no shame in that; if you hate your job, it’s time to seek pastures new.
You really don’t want to end up wishing your life away.
So, what now?
First things first, you need to re-assess your working life and decide; is it time for a change? Or is there anything you can do to make yourself happier, without quitting?
If it is time, don’t just hand your notice in on a whim!
It’s always easier to find a new job, when you already have one; it just looks better to employers and means you don’t have to panic-apply (and possibly end up with another dud-job).
We can help you with all of this. Just click here to sign up to this blog and receive weekly advice on how to find the perfect job, write the perfect CV and absolutely SMASH the interview.
Or click here to search through our live vacancies.
Remember, don’t look for happiness; create it.
