4 Signs That You Are Ready to Quit Your Job

• 2-minute read •
Feeling overworked, stressed out or bored may be hints that it's time to find a new job.
Everyone has discouraging days in the office. Whether you're feeling overworked, stressed out, fearful or bored, the bottom line is that most opportunities weren't meant to last forever. No matter what stage you're at in your career, each position comes with a life span that varies depending on the individual and the circumstances surrounding the work. Once you've reached the end of that ride, it's time to start looking for your next career step if you want to avoid stagnating.

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Crawl Back to the Job You Quit?

STICKY SITUATION: About a month ago, I had a disagreement with my boss of three years, and I impulsively walked out and quit the job I loved. I cleared out my desk and split without even giving two weeks' notice. I also left behind a huge project I was in charge of midway through. I have not spoken to my boss since I left. I really blew it, since I'd had excellent reviews for three straight years. I just saw my old job advertised in the paper. Should I try to mend fences and apply for my old position? I haven't had any luck landing a new job.

WHAT THE EXPERT SAYS: Ah, would've, should've, could've. Sometimes we are our own worst enemies, as you were when you abruptly quit your job. You broke a few rules by walking out the door. First, you gave in to your emotions and did not look at the big picture. Second, you left your boss in the lurch, appearing to be not only hotheaded, but also irresponsible, and hurting his opinion of you. And third, you let the situation fester by never calling your boss to straighten things out. This has led you to rehash the situation to a point where you have lost perspective and now think that your old boss would even look at your CV without tearing it up and tossing it into the trash.

But you must talk to your boss -- not to approach him for your old job, but to straighten out this mess so it does not impact your ability to land a new position elsewhere. Best, ask him out to lunch. Since you knew each other for three years, he may be amenable to that idea. If he declines your offer, take care of this over the phone.

Write out your speech ahead of time. Apologise for walking out on him in the middle of the big project, and admit that you overreacted and now regret your actions. If your old boss tells you how awful you were, don't argue with him. Just listen and repeat that you are sorry you left him in a lurch. Say it was all a big misunderstanding.

Next, tell him you would like to use him as a reference. Refresh his memory about the many successes you had at the company, and appeal to his sense of humanity as someone you worked well with for three years.

You'll get a sense during the conversation of whether or not you'll be able to use your old boss as a reference. If you can't use him, call another manager in the company who you've worked with over the past three years, and ask him to be your reference.

And the next time you're tempted to walk out, make a trip to the corner Starbucks to cool off. Then return to work within 15 minutes and say you just needed a break.

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The Right Way to Quit Your Job

After the stressful process of looking for a new job while you’re still employed, accepting an offer is a huge relief. At last, you’re free! You probably can’t wait to share your good fortune with the world and tell your boss where she can shove that evil assignment she gave you last week. You might think that since you’re leaving, you don’t have to worry what people think of you anymore. This is not the case. Unless you want to erase everything you’ve accomplished since you first accepted this job, your departure must be as strategic and deliberate as your arrival.

This starts with your resignation. Under no circumstances should you let on that you’re leaving before you have a signed agreement and official start date from your new employer. If you jump the gun and blab to everyone and your job offer falls through, your best case scenario is that you’ve got egg on your face. The worst case, of course, is that your boss is insulted enough to fire you. Here are some other suggestions for making a smooth exit:

Tell your supervisor first: you want him to hear the news from you, not from someone else in your department.

Give two weeks notice: stay for the full period unless the company requests that you leave sooner.

Be modest: don’t alienate your colleagues by bragging or chattering incessantly about your awesome new gig.

Don’t insult anyone or anything: whether it’s true or not, show that you regret leaving such wonderful people behind.

Stay on top of your responsibilities: remember that you’re accountable for your work until 5PM on your last day.

Continue to adhere to office protocol: you worked hard for that corporate persona, so leave them with a lasting impression of professionalism.

Review the employee handbook: understand what you’re entitled to regarding benefits and compensation for unused sick or vacation days.

Organize your files: make it easy for your colleagues to find materials so that they can transition your workload seamlessly and won’t need to call you at your new job.

Do a great job training your replacement: these people paid your salary for a year or more, you owe it to them to leave your job in good hands.

Don’t take anything that doesn’t belong to you: this includes office supplies and work product that was not developed by you personally.

Many companies request that departing employees do exit interviews with HR. The person conducting the interview, who probably doesn’t know you from a hole in the wall, will usually expect you to divulge why you are leaving and how you feel about your experience with the company. When it comes to exit interviews, the general rule is: if you don’t have anything nice to say, lie. Stick to official business as much as possible, and if you must provide constructive criticism, proceed with tact and caution. While it may be tempting to use the meeting as a forum to spill your guts about the company’s difficult personalities and insufferable policies, don’t give in. Once you’ve made the decision to leave, airing your grievances won’t do you a drop of good and the risk of offending people is way too great.

The most important thing to remember when leaving a job is to fireproof your bridges. It’s a smaller world than you think and you never know when you’re going to need these people again. And who knows? Maybe you won’t even like your new job and will want to come back someday. At the very least, you want to be able to count on at least one person at the company to serve as a reference for the future. During your last few weeks, do everything you can to leave behind a squeaky clean reputation. Be conscientious and thorough as you’re wrapping up or transitioning projects. Even if you’re leaving because you can’t stand your department, act like a team player and keep your negativity to a minimum. If your colleagues take you out for lunch or throw you a going away party, congratulate yourself. It means you’ve handled your departure in exactly the right way.