There are only so many times that you can end a workday, drive home with a defeated spirit, and spend the next four hours repeating the same monologue of why you should quit but never go through with it.
Eventually, there is a breaking point that you are bound to hit and by the time you are ready to quit, you will realize how many years of your life that you have lost with this dead-end job. For your own sake and sanity, you need to recognize the red flags and make the initiative to quit before it is too late.
Employee Unhappiness
Unsurprisingly, a global poll that was conducted by Gallup in 2019 determined that 85% of people are unhappy in their jobs. Employees feel discouraged to engage in their work due to a number of reasons including their relationships with fellow colleagues and bosses, overtime working, salaries, lack of appreciation, and more. However, not many are finding the willpower to quit and look for other jobs.
This is because elder generations have enforced the idea that young people should forcibly endure a toxic workplace, or what they call the “daily grind”, because it is the only way they will ever get close enough to making good money or getting promoted 30 years in the future. It is the same type of thinking that allows “unpaid internships” to be accepted as the norm in society despite the fact that it is inhumane.
The idea of quitting is seen as a sign of weakness, but it is in fact the complete opposite. Quitting will only allow you to discover new and better opportunities that can lead to greater outcomes in the future.
Questions to Ask Yourself
- Do I dread getting up in the morning during the weekdays?
Do not ignore the overwhelming anxious feeling you get in your stomach the day before the work week starts. You should not be feeling like the worst thing in the world is having to wake up every morning and take yourself to work. If your everyday life is going to start in such a negative motion, then it will set the tone for the rest of your week, and you will probably be stuck in an endless routine of despair and dread. This feeling alone is probably the biggest red flag you need to consider if it is time to quit your job.
- Am I excited about the work I am doing?
List all the reasons why you chose the career that you are in and what your goals were at the very beginning. Does your current job match anything on the list or does it feel like you have completely diverted into another different path? If you do not feel excited enough about your work and have lost all motivation to do anything about it, go back and find your roots. Take some time to look properly at what you actually want to do and try to follow that instead.
- Am I being taken advantage of?
Is all the free overtime work that you have been taking on really worth it or are you just being taken advantage of by your employer? You have to prioritize your self-worth and make sure that you are actually being compensated financially and appreciated for all the work you do and if not, then do not just sit and take it. For young people, it does not take a certain age in order to start recognizing your self-worth and demanding appreciation. Just because you might still be a fresh graduate, it does not mean that your employers are allowed to take advantage of you just so you can “prove” yourself. If you are doing the work that is being asked of you then that should be enough.
- Am I constantly walking on eggshells around my bosses and colleagues?
Yes, you do not have to be making friends with your colleagues in order to enjoy your work environment, but you also do not have to hate them. If you are constantly finding yourself completely isolated in your workplace or having to walk on eggshells around your manager, then maybe this is not the right place for you. The resentment and isolation will eventually eat away at you and become very damaging to your mental health. A healthy work environment should be a priority when taking into consideration which company you want to work in.
Tip – Before signing a new contract, connect with some employees over LinkedIn and try to get an idea of what the workplace lifestyle is like.
- Is there any hope of getting a promotion any time soon?
If you have been working in the same position for years and still have not seen a sign of being promoted, then it is definitely time to move on. If you are not being appreciated now, who is to say that there will be any change later down the line? Find a job where there is potential to find growth in your career instead of being stuck in the same place that you first started in. You need to constantly build yourself up instead of just accepting your dead-end “fate” as it is.
- Am I financially secure enough to quit my job?
Being able to quit your job and look for something else is a huge privilege and a bigger risk to take. It is important to make sure that you are at least somewhat financially secure for the next two to three months during the time it will take you to find another job. It can be even more beneficial to spend some time beforehand to job hunt and interview with potential employers to secure a job before sending your notice so that you would not have to struggle or regret your decision later. Nobody can force you to quit your job and to turn your entire life around, but you cannot also force yourself to tolerate a work environment that is draining you.