When to Quit your Job?

When to start something?  and When to stop something? are the two most difficult questions to answer in every aspect of life, for instance, When to start going to gym? When to stop eating unhealthy food? When to start studying? When to stop wasting time? etc. 

Similarly, when to quit your job and move on in your career is an important and difficult question to answer.

With the help of my Work Experience, I believe I can guide people in understanding- When is the time to quit your job?

We should leave our job when any of the following things happen in the organisation:-

1. When people from a particular group get promoted- Once, I got chance to visit the Headquarter of an International Development Agency. Practically, everybody above the sweeper was either Ph.D. or M.S.  In some manufacturing organisations, people from engineering background are only promoted. In some chemical organisations, people with chemistry background are only promoted. You’ll have to see that whether you are in that group or not. If you belong to that group then it’s good else sooner you leave, better for your career.

2. When suddenly Top Executives start leaving the organisation- Remember, before downsizing, bright-sizing takes place i.e. it is the top influential people who first start leaving the organisation before anybody else. It is the most important indicator for leaving the organisation. Top people know very well that where the organisation would be in coming 5 years. If you find that lots of policies are being changed, top executives are leaving then you also leave before your career gets any major set-back.

3. When maximum people at your position are young – I had observed this when I was working as a Summer Intern in Punjab Health Systems Corporation. Most of the Interns were of my age-group. Therefore, everyone more or less had the same competency level. It becomes difficult to make your separate position in an organisation when you find that everyone is as competent as you. It becomes difficult for HR manager to plan for fair promotions. Therefore, one day you would see that company starts hiring externals rather giving chance to insiders.

4. When you see that most of the people at your position are senior from you- In every organisation, most experienced and matured people get promoted first than the less experienced people. No matter, how good you are at your work you would never be considered for the next level when more experienced people are in-the-queue. If this is in your case, learn from your job and leave as soon as you get an opportunity. Waiting for that one day when people would recognize your efforts only kills time. Get up, dress up, and make your career move. 

Your first job is the best time to experiment whether you are at the right place or not. You can know a lot about your working style in your first job.
There is a Universal Problem among the first-timers and it is that they stuck in their first job for longer period of time without realizing that what their ‘actual’ career aspirations are?

      
       I hope the tips shared in the blog would help you in deciding your next step.