7 Signs to Quit Your Job

The great resignation - How to know when to leave your job.

If you can’t remember the last happy day you had at work, it might be time to seriously consider quitting.

Here are 7 red flags to know if it’s time to call it quits.

Red flag #1 — Being micromanaged

Having your job micromanaged and not trusted undermines your self-confidence and diminishes your sense of accomplishment. Over time, this can reduce your self-esteem and the perception of your value.

I’ve been micromanaged in the past. I understand how intolerable it can be. But it’s not all bad because, as a result of that experience, I became more confident, determined, and more conscious of my design and leadership abilities. It can also make you more trusting and supportive of other people and your team.

Steve Jobs said once:

‘It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.’

Red flag #2 — Negative work-life balance

Work-life balance looks different for everyone.

But, a negative or a complete lack of work-life balance shows that your manager (and the company you work for) values your performance more than your mental and emotional wellbeing.

Long-term, this can be harmful to your overall wellbeing and lead to burnout or even sickness.

Red flag #3 — Lack of growth opportunities

It’s normal to want to upskill and learn everything you can when you join a company. To advance in your job, you need to acquire new skills.

When we start a new job, we go through an S-curve of personal disruption. We all start at zero. Then we soon enough become competent and reach a great confidence level. After that comes mastery, and there is usually not much to learn. We’re just going through the motion every day.

There will be times when you appreciate your job and your coworkers yet feel unchallenged in your role. In situations like this, it’s hard to look past the workplace. While company loyalty is crucial, so is career advancement. If a position offers no room for career development, consider what a job change could do for your career.

Red flag #4 — Lack of recognition

If your manager or other team members take credit for your efforts without acknowledgement, it shows poor leadership. You might have heard that most people leave organizations due to bad managers.

It also shows that you’re being taken advantage of. If things don’t change, you’ll lose respect for your manager and team, which leads to resentment.

Red flag #5 — Feeling bored

Boredom is a common emotion. If you frequently feel bored at work, it’s an indication you’re not doing what you want to do and what you’re capable of doing; and the job is not as meaningful as it seemed at first.

What’s the sign? If you check the time frequently at work, that’s your sign.

Boredom means you are not challenged enough; you are not being pushed sufficiently at work. It’s an easy fix, though. Ask for more opportunities, try to mentor others, start a new initiative at work, join your work Toastmasters group.

You need to find methods to liven things up. And if despite your best effort, the situation won’t change, then it’s time to move.

Red flag #6 — Abusive environment & lack of psychological safety

If you’re in a mentally or physically abusive environment, you seriously need to consider finding another job.

If leaders and other team members leave you feeling unsafe at work, and their behaviour breaks the psychological safety, you need to start job hunting immediately.

If the psychological safety is broken, it is kind of impossible to earn the trust back because when it’s gone, it’s usually gone forever.

Red flag #7 — Something doesn’t feel right

When something is wrong, your gut instinct might be your best ally.

If you’ve been actively looking for jobs and thinking about resigning for a while, and you believe it’s the right thing to do — even if you’re afraid of the unknown — it’s probably time to listen to that voice and take the leap. Because if you’re going to work each day and something doesn’t sit right with you, then it’s probably because it is not right.

How to quit

There are many signs that it’s time to find a new job. Before you do anything hasty, talk to your manager about the issues and your concerns. Even though it may not end with you staying, you will know that you’ve tried everything you could.

It can be challenging to leave a job and a routine, but with change comes amazing opportunities.

It is critical to depart on good terms once you make the decision. Before resigning, prepare for a counteroffer. Some companies will counter offer for you to stay. What would you do if you received a counteroffer?

When it happened to me in the past, I had to keep in mind why I resigned. The offer was so tempting. But I needed to remind myself that the job wasn’t fulfilling me. Getting more money wouldn’t have changed what was not right for me at the company.

Also, if you take the counteroffer and stay, you most likely won’t get any salary increase for a couple of years.

One last tip

Don’t let anyone make you feel bad for putting yourself and your career first. Also, it’s best to quit for your financial safety when you already have another gig lined up.

This article is a written interpretation of my YouTube video: