In the last few weeks I have been speaking to a variety of individuals about their work environments. It seems to be a theme that individuals are thinking about leaving their companies or changing their positions within their current companies. So how do you know when to stay and when to go? This is not an easy question to answer and in a lot of ways is very personal. Each individual needs to look at what is happening in their life and in their work environment and make a decision so my response is, “It depends.” However, having said that … there are sure reasons to stay and definite reasons to go.
THREE REASONS YOU SHOULD STAY IN A JOB
So you are not exactly happy at your job and are thinking about leaving or thinking that you need to switch to a different department. What reasons should you stay in your position?
- TO GET WHAT YOU NEED TO GET WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.
Is this job providing you with experience that can get you where you want to go? I had a very good friend whose sister moved to California for a position that she was thrilled about. Once she got there, it was not exactly what she expected it to be and to make matters more difficult she did not get along with her supervisor. After two months she was ready to move home to Colorado and give up on the job. However, she wanted to be in movie production and this job was a great stepping stone to meet people (the right people) and it was experience that she could put on her resume. She stayed at her position a little over a year and was promoted within her company to a better job. So while she was very unhappy for that year she could see why she had to stay at the position to get where she wanted to be. Remember to keep in mind to not give up on a position that can get you where you want to go. If you need the experience or you need the exposure and/or contacts stick it out, if you can.
- PEOPLE LEAVE.
It may seem like that co-worker or supervisor has been at your organization forever and will never leave but People Leave. Not only that but people are asked to leave. It takes time that is true but it is worth your time to wait … most of the time. If you know me on a personal level you will find out pretty quickly that my patience leaves a lot to be desired. In fact, it is a joke in my family. My sisters get the biggest kick out of trying my patience to watch my temper flare just to giggle at me. This has not been an asset for me in my professional life either. I was an assistant manager at an apartment complex and up for the next manager position that was available. Not that it was a sure thing but I was definitely a top contender for a position. Now manager positions don’t open up every day and I was young and getting tired of my current position. I was also starting to have issues with a fellow co-worker. I waited it out for four months and then gave a months’ notice. Three months after I left a manager position opened up. This was not going to be the first time this happened to me. I have heard of people who have left positions because of co-workers only to find out that the co-worker quits or is fired a few months later. So remember PEOPLE LEAVE do not lose hope and get discouraged because of other people in your work environment. Make sure that the reason you stay and/or leave is because of you and not because of someone else ultimately you will have no regrets on your decision if it is made with your best interest at heart regardless of a co-worker or supervisor.
- YOU CANNOT AFFORD NOT TO.
Please never overlook the obvious and do something that ultimately will make life more difficult than it has to be. Staying at a difficult job is hard but being unemployed is harder. Remember if you quit there is no unemployment to fall back on. You know what your budget can handle and what it cannot. Look closely at what you have saved up and be realistic. How long can you really live on what you have saved? How long will it take to find a new job? Then add another 3 months because it is not easy to find a new job especially one that is a good fit. You do not want to leave a job to be forced into another job that you don’t like. Your best bet is to stay at the one you are at and improve your skills through courses at an evening/on-line class or look for a job while continuing your employment. Think about your options and network. Come to a professional meeting like the IMA and talk to fellow professionals about what they are doing and experiencing. This is invaluable knowledge and connections that cannot be overlooked in today’s work environment.
THREE REASONS YOU SHOULD LEAVE A JOB
So it isn’t the worst job in the world and you have stayed this long. Here are three reasons you should head for the door.
- YOU ARE PHYSICALLY ILL.
I am amazed at how often I hear this one. I have to tell you that if your job is making you physically ill on a daily basis, you should look for another job. This can include stomach aches, frequent colds, headaches, migraines or something else. Sometimes these ailments can be attributed to other things and sometimes individuals are not aware that it is their jobs causing them to be sick. I am amazed at the number of individuals that know that their jobs are making them physically ill and continue to go without looking for a solution to the problem. As I have mentioned I am not a patient person so when I started feeling ill at a job and knew it was the stress of the position I was quick to move on. I was young and had been promoted to manager and then been promptly left alone to run everything with no one to call for back up or advice. I had been working at the company exactly 2 weeks. There had been no orientation, just two phone calls and a voicemail about what I was to do. After a week and a half of muddling through I started getting daily stomach aches and nausea. I couldn’t even call in sick because there was no one to fill in for me. So I gave my two weeks’ notice a week later. A job is never worth your health. If you are becoming physically ill because of the stress at a job start looking around for another position. The faster you are able to move on the better for you and your body.
- YOU ARE PLACING YOUR LIFE ON HOLD.
I am not referring to your vacation to Europe. I am also not referring to going back to school. Those are things that you can work into at any job with money management and time manage and those are topics for another time. I am referring to your daily life. Are you working 10 to 12 hour days or 80 hour weeks? Do you ever take vacation time even for Christmas or Thanksgiving? The issues of the preceding questions are immediately realized. Here are a couple more to think about. Can you pick up your child from school in an emergency? Are you able to attend a family member’s funeral? Are you able to take time to attend professional events? Most individuals will recognize that working excessive hours and not being able to get off holidays is not appropriate work behavior. An employer who asks this behavior or makes an employee feel as if this behavior is necessary is recognized as an undesirable employer. However, I can tell you that my other three questions fall into a grey area for most people. Employers are not able to tell you not to pick up your child in an emergency but you know if that behavior is frowned upon. Employers will also usually not tell you not to attend a funeral but I know many people who have skipped family members’ funerals because they knew they would be docked hours and/or fired when they came back. Of course, not because of the funeral for some other reason. Finally, attending professional events, many employers will not pay for professional events and often they will not give time during the day to attend but they cannot stop individuals from attending at lunch or after work. Yet, somehow employees do not attend because networking is not acceptable by their employers. I have heard this from several individuals after they left a company. I have never been at a company where this was an issue but I do remember one instance where I had a supervisor say to me, “I think I will stop letting you attend those accounting conferences because I am afraid that someone will hire you.” This supervisor did not stop letting me attend conferences and I was never hired by anyone at a conference because I was never looking to be hired. However, this is an indication of the paranoia that some companies/supervisors have about their employees who network. The truth of the matter is no employer should tell an employee what they should be able to do. If you are not participating in your life whether that be your family life, your career, or leisure time then you should consider finding another job that allows you to maintain a work/life balance that fits your life.
- YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING WRONG/ILLEGAL.
As I stated above, please never overlook the obvious. If you are at a job where you are doing something wrong or illegal, it is time to find a new job. If it is illegal please leave immediately. No job is worth spending the rest of your life in jail for or even a portion of it. Most of the time I have individuals tell me that they do not know if they are doing something wrong. Each person has their own ‘lines’ of right and wrong and then there are definite right and wrongs and then there is what is legal and illegal. Without getting into a long discussion about those areas if you are doing something wrong and you know it then it is time to move on. If you think you may be doing something wrong, please do not look the other way. Research it, find out more and make a decision if it is right or wrong and leave if you need to. When you are uncertain is not a time to become complacent. If you are not sure there are people that you can talk to in confidentiality to help you resolve your conflicts. A good rule of thumb that I use is would I be ashamed to tell my daughter what I am doing. As a role model to my daughter I have to set myself a standard for her if I am not meeting that standard at my job then it is time for me to move on because I am doing something morally wrong for me.
There are always grey areas and I do not think you should ever take leaving or staying at a job lightly. Think about it and make the right decision for you.