Ep 79 – When should you quit your job?

If only I had a rupee for every time I was asked this question, “Should I quit my job?” maybe I’d have some 50 bucks to upgrade the size of my cup of coffee in Starbucks. But jokes apart, I’ve been asked this question by several people across industries and age groups in the last 3 years since I’ve moved out, so I thought why not record an episode with my answers!
Hello and welcome back to a brand new episode on the Own Your Everyday series in the Being Meraklis Podcast. Today, we will talk about when should you really quit your job.
Before we go any further, I’d like to add a quick disclaimer that this is purely subjective, and today’s episode is based on my experiences and reflections since I made a move so take it with a pinch of salt. Reflect from your standpoint and make the right decision for you.
First off, don’t just quit your job just yet. A lot of times, this happens as an impulse reaction. Our bosses touch a nerve when another project gets derailed or tanked when we work yet another weekend or put in another all-nighter. When we feel unappreciated, under-equipped or overly suited for a position.
There could be many scenarios. The first thing we need to do is pause to understand what’s not working in our job:
In retrospection, I can see 3 areas that could push us to consider moving out of a job. One competency, if we are underqualified or overqualified for a position, either extreme can push us over the edge. We need the job to be just a bit beyond our current abilities, at a level that’s challenging but not far fetched and definitely not something we can do in our sleep. Ask yourself where your competency stands with regards to your role?
Two, Autonomy. To do well in our roles and feel that sense of accomplishment and contentment, we need a certain level of autonomy to work our way. If that’s curtailed, we might feel suffocated without the wriggle room to bring in our style to the work we do. On the other extreme complete autonomy with no direction may not be everyone’s cup of tea either. Some of us might prefer being guided with a bit of structure to direct our efforts. Having too much or too little can leave us feeling frustrated or lost at work. Ask yourself, how autonomous do you feel in your current position?
Three, Connection. We, humans, are social beings first. We all have the innate desire to feel that sense of belonging and interconnectedness in everything we do, especially our jobs where we spend our most waking hours. If our interpersonal relations at work don’t leave us feeling good, they will reflect our work. Ask yourself, how would you rate your connection to your peers and bosses? Do you feel like you belong there?
Four, Meaningfulness. Unconsciously, we add meaning to every interaction and experience we have in life, attaching the same meaning to our jobs. And if the meaning attached doesn’t resonate with us, we might be left feeling unfulfilled no matter what we achieve. Ask yourself, how meaningful is the work I do to me? Does it make me feel fulfilled and satisfied at the end of the day? Or do I find something someone else is doing, or I wish I was doing more meaningful?
Each of these questions will help you reflect on your current job better. If you notice, I didn’t mention the obvious ones like financial security and obligations cause I’m sure you’d have already considered that.
Another way to make this decision is to really visualise what would make a job ideal for you. What are the facts that are non-negotiable for you to feel completely comfortable, aligned, and driven to perform exceedingly well? Once you have that ideal version, you can come back and see the gaps in your current job and ask yourself if it’s possible to make that happen in your existing setup first before moving out.
Quitting a job is no return move, and make sure you’re absolutely sure of what you want before making that leap. It’s not all fun meetings in coffee shops and brainstorming as pop culture would have you believe. A self-employed or entrepreneurial journey takes a lot of courage, patience, persistence and involves a lot of anxiety, stress, and uncertainty. I’m not saying all of this not to scare but mentally prepare ourselves for the journey ahead. I wish someone had told me these things before I made this move.
I was caught unawares and felt lost for the longest time for the first few months when I was on my own, and I wouldn’t want anyone feeling that level of stress or anxiety. But it’s worth it. If I hadn’t made that leap, I wouldn’t probably be here recording this podcast for you, my listener. The most challenging journeys are often the best teachers. And, we have but this short time to make the most of our life. So if you feel even after reflecting that your job is not something you see yourself doing 5 or 10 years down the line, trust yourself, take that leap of faith, and do what’s right by you.
So here’s your own your everyday tip for this week, reflect deeply on the four factors of competency, autonomy, connection, and meaningfulness before you make the decision to move out of your 9-to-5 job. If you need more support, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at BeingMeraklis. Wishing you nothing but the best on your professional journey, this is Shwetha Sivaraman signing off, hoping you have a fabulous day.