When is the right time to leave a job, and what is the best way to do it?

Personal Growth    

The right time to leave a job was different for each person but they had some similarities. One key element is whether a job offers opportunities for personal growth. When you have outgrown a job or there is no more room to grow into a new position or new responsibilities, then that is a good time to start considering a new position, whether with your current employer or in an an entirely new job (Karl Miller). 

Future Plans

Plans for the future connect with ideas of personal growth. When you have a sense of your long term goals and realize that your current job does not match them, consider whether there are opportunities with your existing employer to reach those goals. For example, if you need to move to another city or state to follow your partner's job, or you want to pursue a graduate degree and need more flexible hours, some employers might be able and willing to work with you. For example, you might be able to transfer to a branch office or work remotely, or you might be able to take advantage of educational benefits your employer has. If such a deal cannot be worked out, then it is likely you will need to find a new job.

Opportunities

Occasionally, you may discover an opportunity for you that allows you to better yourself or gain new experience. While you might not have any problems with your current job, sometimes new opportunities and experiences will help with personal growth or align with future plans in a way that makes it worth leaving your current job. New opportunities may include higher pay, a better position that may get you closer to that dream job, a new location to either be closer to family, an opportunity to starting somewhere new, or a chance to relieve some stress and increase personal health. 

Negative feelings          

Some jobs inspire negative feelings that do not allow you to work at your full potential. There are also times where the job you love cause negative feelings, or you no longer feel how you felt about the job when you first started. There can be many different reasons for negative feelings, including changes in co-workers, bosses, and clients, or new rules. For many people, the pleasure of a job relies on the people they work with, so it is not uncommon for a good job to feel less pleasant after a change in personnel (or vice versa!). Some jobs become more stressful when a company becomes successful too quickly and cannot hire people fast enough, making it harder for existing employees to keep up standards of work. Other jobs end up short-staffed when companies merge and lay off employees that are perceived as redundant. Sometimes a promotion ends up putting a person in a position they do not enjoy. And sometimes a job turns out not to have been a good fit from the beginning.

Financial concerns

Sometimes, life brings changes that mean a job no longer pays enough for you to live comfortably. Sometimes the job itself has become much more involved without including a raise. If the amount of labor you are putting in is greater than the amount of money that is standard in your industry for that labor (read: you are underpaid), that would be a good reason to leave a job (Bret Kipling). This does not mean you have to leave a job you love if it pays enough for you to live comfortably, but discovering you are underpaid may give you leverage to ask for a raise. 

Ethics

If your ethics are being compromised and your employer puts you in a position in which you do not agree with, you should find another place to work (Katrina Fowles). When a job demands you lie to clients or engage in unethical practices, start searching for a new job.

How to Leave

The most common advice about leaving a job is that you should not burn bridges, meaning that you need to make sure you do not cut off opportunities and or networks. You may do that by leaving with enough time for you to be replaced. Leaving with respect and peaceful can be beneficial with future jobs and opportunities. If at all possible, before leaving any job, make sure you have another job lined up or have a back up plan. 

Make sure you give at least two weeks notice before quitting your current job (Karl Miller). This is important because it lets the other workers know when you are quitting the job and it gives your employer a chance to find a replacement. It also helps ensure a more positive relationship with the employer you are leaving (Chris Lewis). As Vince Vonnegut points out, "Remember you are building a reputation."

This page was developed from interviews with:

Chris Lewis, Valerie Lowry, Karl Miller, Vince Vonnegut, Bret Kipling, Katrina Fowles