Should YOU Quit Your Job?
Building a career with one company is ideal. Though, it is rare in today’s context.
I was reflecting on my experience. I always wanted to remain with one company but there was a catch. I graduated during the recession. If your first job is not the right one, it takes a few job switches and a few years before your career is back on track. Once on track, I thought this was my last destination. But as luck would have it, I switched jobs thrice again and finally decided to create jobs rather than seek jobs.
In every job, there were bottlenecks that were difficult to address and prompted switch to further my career. In one of the companies I worked for, I had a brilliant leader from whom I learnt a lot. However, he didn’t demonstrate the intent to grow the business. As a result, confidence in the company’s growth amongst the team was low. The attrition rate was high as people did not see career growth. It became a training ground.
While I tried to provide feedback to the leader, it was to no avail.
I stayed with the company for 5 years and managed 6-fold growth with all the limitations. Further growth was almost impossible. Finally, I left.
In this battle of build vs switch, what remained my top priority was building a worthwhile career with ample growth opportunities.
Certainly, in a perfect world, you might end up working for one company throughout your life. But sometimes certain situations force us to switch. In my case, it was either limited/ negative growth going forward or a strategy that did not fit with the needs of the client.
Broadly there can be 4 major reasons why one must switch jobs:
– Misalignment of business strategy and your career goals
– No confidence in the business growth
– Incapable leadership
– Having a bad manager
In case the reason is the last one, you can try to switch teams within the organization. You will save on the equity that you have built in the organization. But if it is one or a combination of the other three reasons, then you must switch.
People usually do not switch for money. But they get paid more when they switch. If you want to switch for money only, please think it through. It will average out over time.
If you are planning to switch, please answer the following:
A. Growth
– What is your career aspiration?
– Will the growth of the company help you fulfill your career aspirations?
– Are the leaders capable of driving growth?
– Is it the right industry for growth? Will it perish?
– If it is a large company, is your business division critical to the growth of the company? If not, can you switch to one such division?
B. Learning
-Are you working for the right leaders?
-Can you learn from them and from the experiences that the opportunity is giving you?
-Is that learning relevant in the industry?
C. Day to day survival
– Is the culture of the organization peaceful or toxic?
– What is the level of toxicity that you can take?
– Is your manager insecure?
If most of these answers are negative, it is time to hit the highway. If it is a balance between the positive and negative it requires careful evaluation vis-a-vis what you want.
Else, think through why you are switching jobs. Is it just because some of your friends have left? Decisions taken under peer pressure may not work out well for you over time.
It is always ideal to stick with a company to harness the equity that you have built. However, when there are valid reasons, as mentioned above, switch sooner than later. Knowing when to leave a job is an act of self-improvement and courage, embrace it. Cheers!
NB: If you find it useful, please repost it to help your friends. Thanks.