Reading the Signs It's Time to Quit Your Job

What’s up fam! We are BACK with another edition of the GC 2.0 newsletter. Fun fact no one told me that when you have kids you will be sick all the time. Covid in January, Flu in February, now I’m fighting off this terrible head cold that is bringing a fever and some other side effects I won’t mention here lol. One thing on my brain that I wanted to get OUT of my brain is the folks that are building in public right now i.e. chantastic, jlenngstorf, and many others are not necessarily finding jobs faster but they find jobs and they build community around themselves as they are posting. So, if you are on the job search, give it a try :) 

Q1 felt like a whole year crammed into three months, am I right? But when the grind starts feeling more like a permanent state, it might be worth considering a change. Here are a few steps you can take to decide if you should start making moves or deciding that maybe all you need is a vacation.

Keep a pros and cons list. You should already be keeping track of all your accomplishments, achievements and things you love about your job (…you’re doing that, right?), but also try to keep track of all the things that suck. When you’re feeling the burnout or about to press send on your drafted resignation, you’ll have a list of things where you can see patterns of bad experiences and be able to decide if the good outweighs the bad. Plus you’ll already have a list to get a head start on updating your resume if it’s time to go.

Your career is yours and yours alone. Allowing yourself the flexibility to move jobs should come from a place of understanding your self-worth. Your worth doesn’t come from your compensation or your title. It comes from belonging to a place where you can share your gifts, ideas and a role where you can show up authentically. It should align with what you feel you’re good at and what you want to be known for.

Write down your specific problems and then break them down. Is the issue you’re having an industry problem, company, personal or a task/situational issue? Sometimes when things come up, it feels incredibly personal… but is it always? Maybe your manager was having a bad day. Maybe this is a common roadblock for someone in your role. Maybe where you’re working is toxic af and you need to get out stat. But the important part is that if you brought up the issues you’re having would anyone take steps or respect your needs?

Do you have a problem with your job or do you have a problem with your salary? At the end of the day, you're your own best advocate, right? So, if you're feeling undervalued, what steps are you taking to change that? Think beyond just your salary—consider your benefits too, from healthcare to remote work options. And if you're constantly thinking, 'I don’t get paid enough to care,' pinpoint the salary that would make it worthwhile to stay.

When you're ready to ask for that raise, come prepared with that list of your achievements, but also be ready to say ‘Why?’ if your request is denied. Maybe propose alternatives like extra vacation time or more flexibility in remote work arrangements. Explore every avenue before deciding to jump ship, you know?

So whether you’re staying or you’re going, this newsletter is here to always keep you informed, inspired, and most importantly serve as a reminder that you’re not alone.

-Taylor

Gun.io/taylor