#32 – Knowing when to fold ’em

I sent my resignation email. The people next to me started clapping.

They congratulated me like it was my birthday. I went to my last day feeling like a prisoner on death row, but I left ecstatic with a weight off my shoulders.

I hate that we call it ‘quitting’ a job. It has the stigma of taking the easy way out. It feels like a kid losing at Monopoly, chucking a tantrum and storming off.

There’s no shame in it. Jobs just don’t always work out and it might be a better idea to browse the market.

It’s also harder to break out of inertia than it is to dip your toe into something new, so the appeal of staying in a position makes sense.

But from my brief experience, here are some signs it’s time to think about leaving:

Another opportunity comes up

Okay this one’s obvious, but stick with me. Another opportunity might not be a higher paid position, in fact during uni I left paid work to volunteer at a law firm.

It can be to follow a career plan, a passion, or just a feeling that where you are has run its course.

You start thinking about it. A lot..

If you have a bad day you might dream about winning the lottery, retiring in your 20s and owning an island. If you have a lot of bad days or feel unfulfilled, it’s easy to fantasize about taking a different path.

Don’t dismiss that. That’s your subconscious flagging it’s missing something. Maybe your work can provide that, maybe it can’t. But think about it and discuss with those closes to you.

It just doesn’t sit with you

One of my friends tried being a swim teacher for an hour, then he got pool water in his eyes and couldn’t take it. Likewise, I couldn’t be a salesperson.

Jobs are like relationships. We’re not always compatible with our role and you can’t always put it into words. To use a line from The Castle, it’s just the vibe sometimes.

Work is a battle

This goes deeper than the last point. Sometimes a change in management, culture, or job description changes your work.

Where you once strove for customer service, you might now be re-focused on efficiency and profits. You might be asked to act against your instincts or twist your moral fiber, or something that makes you feel at odds with your workplace.

It doesn’t have to be anything as drastic as defending murderers in Court. You might just not fit with the company’s direction because your very identities – the reasons you come into work – don’t match up anymore.

The job comes home with you

This is why the people with me clapped when I sent that resignation email. I was sacrificing quality time with friends and family in favour of my work-life imbalance.

It wasn’t just the time spent working. It was the time spent thinking about work when I was out hiking, dreading a phone call during dinner, or not being able to concentrate when I was out with my friends.

If these things apply to you, it might be time to channel your inner Kenny Rogers.

You gotta know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away and know when to run.

Next week: Law school didn’t prepare me for this