Ready to Quit Your Job

Are you thinking about switching careers or staying within the same profession but changing employers? Are you part of the Great Resignation that saw high numbers of employees leave employers? Or are you ready to upgrade for a higher salary, better time off arrangements, or a more supportive environment?

The ideal move might be to pursue the career of your dreams, and for some, the timing may be just right in 2022. But, how to prepare, and what actions should you consider before making the change? A job change is always something to be careful about and here are five things to do before quitting.

1. Identify the Career Shift You Want

Have a clear path of what's next in your employment landscape. Ideally, consider grabbing hold of the next "rung" on the career ladder before making a move. But which rung do you grasp? The closest one? The furthest? Do you grab it with one hand or two?

Try to pre-plan and limit options as too many can be as bad as not having any options. Sometimes, it's about needing to say "no" while you first focus on an ideal move. It may be wise to open up your consideration set after a predetermined time. For example, if you haven't found the next position in 90 days, perhaps that will signal a wider net needs to be used.

2. Upgrade Personal Skills

Knowing what you want to do next can help you figure out what skills you need to brush up on, apart from your job hunting and interview skills. Know what kind of industry you want to enter and start learning the basics required to excel in that industry. You can even build on current skills to have a distinct advantage over competitors when the time comes. You can start by signing up for online or offline workshops and getting certified in relevant skills to make you more competitive during your job search.

3. Consider Talking to Your Manager About Your Change

Anyone who has been working for at least a moderate amount of time would tell you that this direction isn't without risk.

However, if you're a highly valued employee, you sometimes don't even need to make a drastic career change as long as your manager agrees to make your current job more fulfilling. Higher pay, better work conditions, and better perks can all be reasonable talking points with your manager or boss. If you think that improving your current work conditions can make you stay, having that conversation with your boss may be worth a try.

4. Making Sure You Have The Savings To Handle It

One of the main reasons why a job change is pressure-filled is being concerned that you have enough in the way of financial resources.  Making sure you have the savings can be essential to not only navigating change but doing so with less stress.

If you have enough savings, you can concentrate on your job search and be better positioned to find the ideal job or career for yourself because you're not in a hurry. If you don't have savings, you might get a part-time job to stay afloat. Consider reaching out to a professional financial wellness company to help analyze your current finances and future needs. 

5.   Have Another Job Lined Up Before You Quit

It is typically better to quit your job once you have another one lined up. The wins here include hanging onto your savings and keeping the perception of being a key player at the current employer.  While it can be challenging to want to hold off leaving the current position, there's a lot to do to get ready, like creating a resume that wins the interview. Keep in mind that the interview wins the job, and you should have a plan to immediately contribute to the success of your new employer once you land the new position.

If you're considering a job change or even a career change, begin with the end in mind with a plan of where you want to go.   Take an inventory of your current skillset and be open to upgrading skills to be more competitive.   Transitioning to different employment may impact your finances, so plan and have enough financial resources to withstand a downgrade in income. Consider getting professional feedback to help determine what your needs are. To help avoid any interruption to income, strongly consider keeping your current employment in place and directly transitioning to a new position.