Striking a balance between financial independence and employee well-being can be challenging. Many individuals spend their lives in pursuit of the perfect job that offers both without constraints.
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Is it the appropriate time to quit my job? This is a question we’ve all asked ourselves at one point or another. Most people wait until they feel they must leave their job or organization, and that puts them at a disadvantage. They might end up choosing just any job rather than the right next career step.
Don't allow that to happen to you. Alternatively, be proactive and take the opportunity to review your company and your role within it, along with your personal career assets, at least once a year. The following three questions will help you decide where you stand.
Do you work for the right organisation?
Make sure you don't run downhill passively with a struggling organisation. Here are seven signs you should be thinking about:
- Management is repeatedly criticized in the business press.
- Revenue is down, or if it’s a non-profit organisation, contributions are down.
- There has been a merger, acquisition, or change of control and you are not a part of the new changes.
- The company does not invest in new products or services and continues to rely on old ways.
- People you admire/respect leave the company.
- Outsiders are hired in management positions and start bringing in friends of their own.
- Cost-cutting steps will be enforced with little notice.
If your company has four or five of those signs real, take a critical look at it. Converse with the people you know who left the company. Look at it in the press on business. Is it a troubled organisation? There are moments when you may want to choose to work in trouble for a company, but only if there is a job advantage — like being part of the turnaround team, or gaining a significant new skill.
Are you in the right position?
Last year may have been a great job for you, but is it still so? There's one great job that helps you grow and learn. This is one in which people recognize you for the job you're doing, and it's exciting and rewarding a lot of what you're working on. Take a closer look at your role as soon as you start feeling that the political part of your job is more important than the work that you do. The following seven signs help you figure the risks:
- The bonuses or increases are not above average any more.
- You can no longer foresee promotions.
- The mentors quit the company or fell into a disadvantage.
- You're doing things with which you disagree or you think you've got to hide what you really think.
- Your boss bypasses you and deals directly with your subordinates or peers.
- You make stupid mistakes all the time and you cannot find out why they happen.
- You are no longer invited to important meetings or to go out with colleagues for lunch.
If your organization is a great one and your job doesn't work for you, then look for another position in another part of your organisation. The staff is most likely to help you are those who have recently moved within the company or those whose roles cover more than one business area — such as auditing or human resources. Otherwise, time to fine-tune the CV. Don't hang on whose "fault" it is; if it's time to go, it's time to go.
How are you positioned for your future career?
Unlike the first two questions which focus on the potential risks or liabilities in your current employer and job, this last question gives you the opportunity to see your situation from the other side of the balance sheet. Review your assets regarding your personal career. Would you find these statements true?
- There are a number of ways you volunteer your time.
- People are calling you for help and advice and you are trying to help.
- You know what the hot topics in your area are.
- You have a good reputation both inside your organization and outside in your profession.
- You know what you want to learn next, and have invested your own money in the last year to develop your career or expand your knowledge.
- You know what will become the next technical challenge in your area.
- You have a range of professional contacts that you can call for assistance or help.
If you can say ' yes ' to five or six of the above seven statements, you need not worry. You're well-positioned for your job management. Your personal assets will help balance the liabilities of your current job or employer. If on this list you have not scored well you can easily change things. Just start doing what's described in the seven statements. Start by contributing to your colleagues, community and profession, and this will expand your professional network — and reputation — with it.
So, if you’re thinking about quitting your job, do a quick analysis. Is the organization you work for the source of your concern? Then, you might look for a similar job with another employer. Is the job the problem? Instead, before you decide to leave, you should consider making a move inside your company. So, eventually, are you ready to move on? Create your personal professional assets to put your future career.
Taurai Masunda is a Business Analytics Consultant at Industrial Psychology Consultants (Pvt) Ltd a management and human resources consulting firm. https://www.linkedin.com/in/taurai-masunda-b3726110b/ Phone +263 4 481946-48/481950/2900276/2900966 or cell number +263 779 320 189 or email: taurai@ipcconsultants.com or visit our website at www.ipcconsultants.com