Have you ever wondered whether you should stay in or leave a job? If you do find yourself grappling with the decision of whether to remain in your current role or move on to something new, this guide is tailored to assist you. However, before embarking on this journey, it’s crucial to acknowledge that transitioning to a new situation doesn’t inherently guarantee improvement. The key lies in understanding why this decision is on your mind and navigating through a deliberate process. Knowing how to decide to stay or leave a job can be a difficult situation to handle.
How to Decide to Stay or Leave a Job
Assessing Your Current Situation
To determine if a change is truly the right move, begin by deeply considering your present circumstances. Sometimes, your envisioned path might be more aligned with staying put rather than seeking an external change.
It’s common to encounter disengagement, inflexibility, or even burnout in today’s workplaces. These factors often drive individuals to contemplate leaving their jobs. However, shifting roles or companies may not resolve these issues; they could persist in a new setting. Hence, quitting might not address the underlying problem. Conversely, staying in a role without enthusiasm and working in a disengaged manner—often termed “quiet quitting”—won’t solve the core issue either.
Take a moment to assess your situation. What truly underlies your disconnection? Is there a chance that your current organization might evolve to meet your needs? Many companies are actively addressing employee stress and retention concerns and are willing to adapt to support their staff.
Probing Deeper Through Self-Reflection
If you’re feeling disengaged or burned out, a job or career change might not be the sole solution. However, if a sense persists that you need a change, it’s worth exploring further. Start by delving into some critical questions. Take time to think through them and answer them honestly. Hastiness in decision-making typically leads to unfavorable outcomes.
- Alignment with Company Values: Do your company’s mission and vision resonate with you? Has either changed? Have you evolved?
- Job Satisfaction: Is your job fulfilling? Is your day-to-day rewarding? Does your job have meaning to you?
- Growth and Learning: Are you advancing and learning in your role? Do you get coaching and feedback that helps you grow? Is your work aligned with your long-term career interests?
- Utilizing Your Strengths: Do you feel your organization is leveraging your strengths?
- Authenticity at Work: Can you be yourself in your role?
- Alignment with Personal Values: Does your work align with your personal values and vision?
- Work Environment: Do you like your colleagues? Do you respect or admire your manager?
If it’s helpful, score each of these questions on a 1-5 scale, and note why your current situation is falling short where appropriate. Your answers will serve as a compass, aiding you in the decision to stay or seek new opportunities. Even if you opt for change, these reflections can help shape your evaluation of potential paths.
Addressing Personal Barriers
Consider if personal hindrances obstruct your career path. Sometimes, internal factors like complacency or self-neglect can cloud professional judgment. In other cases, the true issue isn’t work-related but stems from something outside of work that is limiting your ability to enjoy or be fulfilled by what you’re doing professionally. Think about whether your hurdles stem from external sources or are within your control.
The Role of Identity in Work
It’s common to fuse identity with job titles or organizational labels, often influenced by external expectations. Over-identifying with a role can lead to dissatisfaction, inhibit you from embracing other aspects of your life, or limit exploration of alternative paths. It’s crucial to build a portion of your identity outside of work to mitigate the impact of job loss, for instance.
Experimentation
Dr. Herminia Ibarra, an expert in professional reinvention, argues that we need to be wary of overfocusing on introspective analyses. Instead, she recommends relying on experimentation and exploration to reshape your professional identity and successfully navigate career transitions.
In her book Working Identity, she refers to experimentation as a way for individuals to explore new professional roles – our work identities. She encourages actively engaging in various activities, roles, or networks that might differ from your current or previous professional experiences. This experimentation involves trying out new behaviors, taking on different responsibilities, or immersing in diverse contexts to gain firsthand insights and learn what resonates in terms of a potential new professional identity. Essentially, it’s about actively testing and exploring different paths to discover and shape a new career direction.
Consider making a list of career or job options that appeal to you, and find a way to live out the experience of working in those opportunities and environments to determine if they’re a right fit for you.
Embracing a Boundaryless Career Path
Boundaryless careers are those that are unimpeded by stereotypes, traditional paths, or a consistent focus on one path only. Contrary to a misconstrued notion, a boundaryless career isn’t about aimless job-hopping. It’s about intentional growth, aligning career moves with personal values and aspirations. Consider this philosophy while evaluating your career change options.
Reflecting on Progress
As we conclude, reflect on your discoveries:
- What insights have you gained about yourself?
- How do you perceive your current role and organization now?
- What obstacles and opportunities lie ahead?
- Are your career vision and developmental areas clearer?
Remember, navigating a job or career change requires self-reflection and deliberation. Your journey toward professional fulfillment must be aligned with your values and aspirations.
If you’d like to learn more, here are some resources:
- Designing Your Life, by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans (become a PathWise member to access our book summaries)
- Getting Unstuck, by Timothy Butler
- Working Identity, by Herminia Ibarra
- What You’re Really Meant to Do, by Robert Kaplan
- PathWise Coaching
