There’s so much advice swirling around the ideal job, such as:
Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.
Follow your passion and the money will follow.
Find a job that matches your strengths.
Leave when you’re at the peak of your career and make them miss you.
Leave when your job doesn’t spark joy.
So when is it really time to leave? Here are some questions to ask before you take that next step:
- Are you still learning and evolving in your job?
- Envision yourself in your job a year from now. What are you doing? Did you grow in your role or step into a new position? Or are you doing the same thing? How did you feel about that vision in your head? How did your body react?
- Are the company’s values—and more importantly, the execution of those values—still aligned with yours?
- How can you create a safe landing space for yourself?
- Are you leaving to escape or to do something that will help you grow in your career and as a person?
- Think back to when you first started this job. Out of all the jobs in the world, why did you choose this one? Is that reason still valid?
- Are you quitting or leaving?
- Where do you want to go? How will this next step honor the woman you are becoming?
When I made the courageous decision to leave a long-term job I loved, here’s another tool that I used to help me decide.
What I know for sure is that the grass isn’t greener on the other side. You will still be taking you wherever you go. That includes your unique set of strengths, gifts, life experience and most importantly, your mindset about work. Every job, like everything else in life, will give you what you need to grow in understanding yourself better and knowing what you want in life.
So approach these questions—and even your search for your next job—with curiosity. You might find the answers leading you down interesting paths, whether you decide to stay or go.
