You know that we’re in the midst of a huge cultural shift when a song that topped the charts this summer is about quitting your job.
Beyoncé, “Queen Bey” herself, essentially prescribed a dance song for everyone experiencing pandemic burnout when she released ‘Break My Soul’. Only the song isn’t just about releasing stress. It urges the audience to quit their jobs.
The Great Resignation, the phenomenon where millions of people are quitting their jobs is changing the way people think about the workplace.
But many employees don’t consider the trade-off before they quit their jobs. According to this study, 72% of employees experienced “shift shock” after they started their new position, prompting a new phenomenon, The Great Regret.
Rather than risk leaving your position and experiencing buyer’s remorse, there are things you can do that will help you make an informed decision—not an impulsive one.
And we can help.
We’ve put together some strategies to help you make a full assessment of your job satisfaction before you quit.
How to evaluate the trade-off before quitting your job.
Make a list of pros and cons.
Consider what you’re hoping to accomplish by leaving. What are the pros and cons of staying at your job?
Think about all of the positive outcomes or advantages of staying. Are you learning a lot at your current job? Are there career growth opportunities?
That said, if you’re pursuing an entirely different field, quitting your job may be the most logical next step to move your career in the direction you want.
But you may simply be hoping for a “better job”, whether that means having more work-life balance or more autonomy in your next position. Identify what’s important to you before you make the decision to quit so that you don’t wind up with the same problems.
Do the pros of staying at your job outweigh the cons?
Weigh the cost.
Think about what you would risk losing by quitting your position. What are the things that you value most in your current job and would miss the most by leaving?
Write those things down and review your list.
Is there anything on that list that is not a guarantee in your next job? Consider the aspects of your job that might be difficult to measure as an outsider.
Having coworkers or a boss that you not only have a good working relationship with–you really like them–for example, is not something that is built-in with every job. Is there anything you’re hoping will exist in your new position?
Remember that what you enjoy about your current job are factors that you know to be true and that you can count on. So if you choose to quit, that means investigating whether another employer can offer you things your current job already has.
Identifying what you like about your job and what you can rely on will help you evaluate whether they’re worth giving up.
Try to reconcile things that are bothering you.
Talk to your manager to ask if your employer is able to accommodate the things you want. That might be career opportunities, higher pay or different work arrangements.
It’s worth your time to ask whether something is possible within your job before making the conclusion that what you want is not available to you. Who knows? You might learn that leaving your job isn’t necessary after all.
If the changes you’re hoping for are possible, it’ll provide better satisfaction in your job, and perhaps a better working relationship with your boss.
When you know your employer fosters an open dialogue, you may be more comfortable approaching your boss when you want something to change. And you’ll likely feel more seen and heard by voicing what’s on your mind.
But if changes are not possible, it’ll provide clarity so that you can walk away knowing that you made an effort to reconcile things you wanted to improve.
Remember that nothing in life is perfect, and that includes your job.
“The reason people regret job change is the same reason that the divorce rate for people in their second marriages and third marriages is higher than first-time marriages: if we’re not careful, we jump from one thing to another and don’t learn along the way,” reports Jenifer Lambert, TERRA’s Chief Strategy Officer.
Following these steps will help you assess job satisfaction in your current role. So that you don’t risk quitting your job, and regretting your decision.
To learn more about weighing a job change, watch Jenifer’s video here.
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