How to Know it's Time to Leave Your Job
The quiet signs you've outgrown your role, and what to do about it
Knowing when to leave your job doesn’t always have to mean your job is filled with red-flags. You can have an amazing team, great benefits, and you might actually find that you like the people that you work with. That’s actually pretty great and I don’t blame anyone for wanting the stability and peace of mind that comes with that.
It’s the quiet flags that might start to eat at you, like they did for me.
Today marks 3 months since I left my full-time job after 6 years within an organization, but many people don’t know that I was actually on a mission to leave since early 2021. Yes - I stayed an additional FOUR years before I resigned. In this post, I’ll share with you the signs I sometimes ignored, when I knew the timing was right, and what actually do when you find yourself starting to question if you should stay or if you should go!
Signs I Noticed.. And some I Ignored
When I first started coaching, I was a Happiness and Leadership Coach. I spent 6 months in two different business coaching programs so that I could learn how to have an online business. That’s when it really got serious for me. During Covid, our organization actually went to 32 hours a week for a few months, and that extra day? What a difference it had made for me. I focused all of my energy on my days off, on my lunch breaks, and after work trying to build a business. That was my first sign - the dedication I had to helping people through coaching. I knew that it was going to be my next career move.
Not too long after I started my business the first time, like many over-achievers, I was also doing my Master’s degree full-time and working at a start-up. Eventually, halfway through 2021 I went from working 32 hours to working 60 hours a week :)) This is where I experienced my first physical burnout. I didn’t have nights anymore, or weekends. I stopped enjoying what I was doing in my spare time because I had no energy left at the end of the day. I stopped everything that I was doing and just focused on finding joy again in my life, and fixing my working habits, sleep routines, and overall health.
Sticking to the topic of burnout, about two years later, I experienced a different kind of burnout. One where I was only working 40 hour weeks, but deeply struggled to log in every day. I didn’t hate my job, but I was doing the same scope of work for almost the entire 6 years I worked at Virgin. I was very disconnected to some of my responsibilities and although I still did well, I was drained by the end of each day.
In my last post, I mentioned there were multiple times I was looked over for growth opportunities. The issue here is I let myself make excuses for it. I was in the same position for 3 years without an upwards or even lateral promotion. My growth was limited and I still continued to apply to internal jobs thinking, “If I just get this new role, I’ll be happier staying.”
If you catch yourself making a similar statement, check-in with yourself and your personal and professional career goals. These statements set us up for failure because we are placing our happiness in the hands of an external factor - something we do not have the power to fully control. So, if you don’t get that promotion, or raise, you’re placing a huge level of weight on something specific happen in order to move forward with your life. Don’t fall into this trap!!
When I Knew It Was Truly Time
There were 3 indicators over time that sealed my decision to leave this past February:
In early 2024, I picked up a contract gig with a HR consulting firm as a Leadership Coach. It was only a few hours a month, but I was not complaining. I was finally being paid for my expertise and when I first learned of the hourly rate, I was actually in a state of disbelief! Pivoting into freelance work for a year showed me so many possibilities.. and provided many benefits along the way like additional income, more local coaching connections, and coaching at the executive level! Having actual client calls reinforced and reminded me that I love coaching, and I’m really good at it!
I will also confess that I knew it was time when I stopped getting to the office by 9am. While there was only a 3 day in office / 2 day remote split, those days I had to show up to the office really took a lot of mental energy to get ready to go in. I had to force myself to leave the house (thankfully it was only a 5 mile commute), but I really cherished that flexibility too. It was part of my list of “not now” excuses because where else would I find a job that wasn’t going to be a stickler for an 8-5pm schedule?
In my last blog, I shared that I was rejected internally from 4 positions within a year. The fourth time, God was really telling me to GTFO NOW. I had to stop making the excuses or “if..then” scenarios and really begin to believe in myself that I could go out on my own and build a successful coaching business.
I also stayed a lot longer than I thought I was going to for many reasons. I still loved the brand, but I wasn’t being appreciated and I finally had to accept it.
You’re Dreaming of Resigning…Now What?
Reflect, journal, strategize and plan for next steps. Just because the thought of resigning comes across your mind in the middle of a random meeting on a Tuesday afternoon, doesn’t mean you need to act on the thought by Friday. The best thing you can do for yourself is sit with that thought, and possibly reflect on the below:
What do I love about my current role? What tasks truly put me in a state of flow? Am I still growing in my current position?
What are the aspects of my role I no longer connect with - and why? Do I still connect and align with the company’s values and mission?
Am I seeking further job satisfaction (more $, better health benefits) or job fulfillment (purpose on the job, growth opportunities, connections)?
If I were to remain in this position one year from now, how does that make me feel? Content? Unsatisfied? This was the question that shot a level of urgency for me to leave my job.
I loved the travel component of my job. I loved managing a team, which was really the part that kept me around. But, like any customer service role, 80% of my day was more focused on the customer as opposed to the time I wanted to spend on team development. THAT was the kind of thing that I wanted to do more of. After spending a year on contract as I mentioned earlier, I really took the approach that there has to be MORE opportunities out there. If I was able to find one contract, I can get another!
Yes, the job market sucks. But it’s not impossible. There is a lot of content out there recently that heavily influence people to stay in their jobs due to the current state of our economy. However, I find it’s very limiting and stops people from even trying or applying to roles that better suit them. 100% it might be harder today than it was two years ago to find a job, but have you tried? Have you brought your LinkedIn profile up to date? Have you reached out to your network (because we know it’s who you know and not always what you know).
Listen to these Your Career, Your Way episodes. Yes, it’s safer to stay where you are. But I urge you to continue to explore the opportunities at your disposal! Including the following episodes of my podcast:
Ep 04 - Finding a Job you LOVE. First Step Towards Fulfillment
Ep 11 - Do “Dream Jobs” Exist? What it Really Means to Find Work You Love
Make sure to leave a comment here with when you knew it was time, or what instance brought you leave yours!
I have just left a company, loved the team loved my guests, but was not fully appreciated, and because of my can do attitude and support my team whenever or whatever. I was often tasked with things. Not in my job description, but because.. she's a lovely person im sure she'd do it for you. I realized change must come when I was too tired to pray. Burnt candles on both ends assisting and also doing my job.