Thinking about Quitting Your Job for Something Better?

Are you thinking about quitting your job or have you already done so? According to an article in the Wall Street Journal on July 10, 2018, this is a hot recent trend.With an improved economy, workers are leaving unsatisfactory jobs and finding better, higher paying jobs. Much of this is fallout from leaner times when lower paying jobs were what was available and you just needed to have some job or even more than one.

The tables have turned, but are you ready to quit now and look around? As the Wall Street Journal article highlights, some are getting higher paying jobs and quickly. However, for many, this may not be the time to impulsively quit and hope that you can take advantage of the new job market. In fact, you may not be able to take that risk....yes, no matter how good the job market looks, it's still a risk....particularly if there are family responsibilities, debts, etc.

In fact, if you are in mid or late career this may be a great time to step back and take a good look at how you can find the "sweet spot" for a new career direction or a new job.  As discussed throughout my book RELAUNCH!, taking a fresh look at your best skills and of those, the ones you enjoy using most; your pattern of general career interests; and the type of work environment in which you will fit best, will help you determine the new career or job to pursue. Then, you can get any new education or training you need, followed by doing a "targeted" job search. What is described as the "Intersection Principle"  in the book forms the blueprint for ending up in that sweet spot.

Once you understand where you're headed, getting to the sweet spot is your key to finding passion and meaning in the work you do. So, if you're seeing the timing as right to make a change, rather than quitting and just looking for something else that pays better, consider delaying while you plan an approach that will get you to a better place overall while reducing risk and moderating the turmoil of change in your life.