Should You Quit Before You Find a New Job?
We’ve all experienced those moments where we want to quit. Of course, this desire to quit isn’t from one bad moment, but rather many bad moments. When this happens, you find yourself quickly thinking of ways to tell your boss exactly what you think and walk out head held high. Unfortunately, the economy right now is not nearly as fluid as it once was, and finding another job has proven to be difficult. On average, most job seekers find a new job in about six months. So the question must be asked: should you quit before you find a new job?
When The Fire Is Raging
It the heat of the moment, it doesn’t matter to you that you are about to cut off your financial security. For weeks, months or even years, you’ve dealt with overbearing, micro-managing bosses that have pushed you to your limit. However, you should not make a decision when the fire is raging inside of you. Remember, most job seekers spend roughly six months looking for a new job. Can you afford to just blurt out what’s on your mind?
Assessing Your Situation
If you’ve been considering quitting for any considerable length of time, you should have already begun assessing your situation; if not, you should start doing so right now. Before you walk off, you should know that your financial security is not being put at risk, especially if have others who depend on you for financial security.
To do this, you need to figure out what you bring in per month and then multiply this by 12. The reason we are multplying by 12 and not by 6 is that six months is the average time needed to find another job. Some may be able to find another job in one month while others may take up to 12 months. It this scenario, it’s best to assume the worst and hope for the best. If you do not have 12 months of savings equivalent to what you just calculated, then you should not walk away. If you do, then more power to you.
Side Note: Do not depend on your spouse’s income to cover you during this time. There could be a point where they lose their job or something catastrophic happens. Always try to be prepared.
Knowing Your Limits
If you’re at the point of telling the boss off, and you can’t afford to walk away, then you need to find a way to manage your situation. To do this, you need to figure out what sets you off and try to avoid those triggers. Of course, this can be difficult if this is someone who is over you or is around you constantly. In those moments, you should find a way to vent that helps you but does not destroy your reputation. For instance, call your spouse, your parents, your pastor or someone who can listen to you, someone who can let you vent without fear of punishment or being fired. Another suggestion is to find some you-time after you get away from the office, where you can relax and let everything out.
When you’ve been pushed relentlessly, it’s only natural to want to push back. Under no circumstance should you ever burn every bridge, building, and bush in sight. Instead, you should plan ahead and prepare accordingly. Find a new job, do the interview, get the job. Only then you can present your current company with your notice to leave and let them know what you thought of them, professionally and courteously, in your exit interview.
Remember, you can go out with a bang and never have any support or you can go out as a professional and never have to worry about negative references.
