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It is an important and complex question
Work is a major part of our lives, providing income, purpose and identity. So the answer to the posted question is important, complex, and individual.
For the purpose of this article, we will assume most readers aim for career growth and increasing levels of responsibility and compensation over time.
Some readers may have the privilege of not needing to work, but still find value in the advice. Most of us have to balance the desire to do work that is comfortable, pleasurable and enriching against the practical fact that we need to earn some money to cover the financial responsibility associated with our life choices.
Voluntarily quitting is difficult to do
We are told to persevere and avoid quitting. We are taught that the secret of success is delayed gratification. Like any good rule, it must be broken at certain times. We feel fear and insecurity about disruptions in our income stream. We might worry about others will perceive our decisions.
Anecdotally, I have seen people who are capable of proactively starting change at the right time to have more successful careers. If that is true, the question is: What are the times when disruption is better than continuity?
- Quitting your job is justified when you are in a bad work environment. It might be because a manager you do not respect. It might be because of a toxic culture. If you spend most of your time at work resenting the environment or complaining how bad things are, do something about it and change the situation.
- If you’re comfortable but unchallenged, consider seeking new opportunities. There are no opportunities to create more value or to contribute to larger goals. You don’t admire or believe company leadership. You cannot align company mission with your values. While less urgent, seeking change in those situations is what differentiates professionals who reach their potential from the ones that stagnate below it.
Don’t let fear be the only reason you are not doing something. Most people have more fear than granted of not having a job for a short period of time. Once you make the decision of quitting a job, be decisive and realistic. Make a plan, execute on your plan. Change is uncomfortable.
When not to quit
As much as possible, the decision of quitting a job should not be triggered by an emotional response to an isolated event at work or outside work. Most companies do offer accommodations and resources for moments of individual crisis.
Every company goes through difficult moments triggered by outside conditions or internal events. Usually, that is the cue and opportunity to show grit and persistence, work with your team to overcome difficulties, learn, grow and help to make the organizational successful. That is the exact moment not to quit. While difficulties can trigger negative human behaviors, don’t confuse difficult situations with intrinsically bad or uninteresting work environments.
No matter how small, you are part of the environment you are in. Think objectively of what is triggering your thought of quitting and find whether or not you can do something about it. If you are part of the problem, get help and work to change your behavior. If you don’t respect your manager, there may be and opportunity to change teams within the same company and functional role. If another person is the reason for collective discomfort in an otherwise healthy environment, talk to your manager about it. If there are new challenges available but your team avoids them, push yourself and the team to do more.
Leadership is the ability navigate the environment and effectively move a group of people towards achieving a common goal. Exercise your leadership.
So, what are the practical rules?
There are no fixed practical rules.
Generally, as part of this audience (early-career professionals, looking into building a successful career), seek role changes at least once every couple of years (either by changing companies or taking larger responsibility within the same company). Optimize for learning, not for comfort.
As much as possible, maintain a financial reserve so that you can make important decisions without being driven only by fear (in this case, of financial duress). Staying somewhere just because you need the pay is common, so if you don’t want “common”, give yourself the freedom to decide.
Follow-up Action
Proactive job changes are difficult, but necessary at crucial moments for job satisfaction and success. A career motto of mine, which I always go back to is “Cautions and Analytical most of the time, bold when necessary.” Respect your fears, but do not be controlled by them.
When considering quitting a job, seek advice of external mentors (you can use this article as a conversation piece), practice some introspection to get to a conclusion. Then be decisive, make a plan, and execute on the plan.
This article on Leadership (covering the concept of self-leadership) and this on Navigating Early Career Choices might be useful if you are considering proactive job changes.
If you know others struggling with similar decisions, take the time to share this with them.
About the author
Marcio is a technology veteran both in large corporate and startups. Marcio has cultivated grit and persistence over his career, but also proactively triggered career disruptions and quit jobs (including coveted prestigious roles) a few times. He provides career coaching, including preparation for successful onboarding and development in organizational leadership roles.
Marcio Saito 