… don’t just wait to see how things play out. Reflect and take action.
For many of us, work makes up a big part of our waking hours. One of the most common pitfalls is getting stuck in the wrong job especially when the compensation and benefits are comfortable and the job is easy for you to do.
Then something happens.
Something that triggers you to reconsider whether your current job is the right one for you. Maybe your leadership team was inflexible with one of your requests, or you hear that one of your peers is rising much faster in their career than you are or you just have a boss that is overbearing. Whatever the reason, it’s helpful to periodically assess whether you are in the right role. This is particularly true if it’s a role you’ve been in for a long time.
In Dan Pink’s book, When, he outlines 5 questions you should consider if you’re not sure whether you should stay in your current job. If you answer “no” to a few of these questions, an exit might be exactly what you need.
- Would you choose to stay in this job during your next work anniversary?
- Another question you might ask is: knowing what you know now, would you have taken the job that you currently have?
- Is your current job both demanding and in your control?
- Do you feel challenged and are you offered autonomy over how you achieve your goals?
- Does your boss allow you to do your best work?
- Do they encourage and support you? Are they willing to take responsibility or do you find ways to take credit and shift blame?
- Are you within a 3-5 year window to get a salary boost or promotion?
- If not, you have a higher likelihood of a bigger title or salary by leaving.
- Does your daily work align with your long-term goals?
- Where do you want to go professionally and does your current role give you the skills, exposure, and experiences to get you there?
Again, if you have at least 2-3 no’s, start exploring your options because your job is probably not working out. If you want more certainty around whether you should quit your job, see if these warning signs exist. If you have no idea what you want to do next in your career, take this course.
Inspired by Dan Pink’s When.
