There are many valid reasons why you might need to let go, but before you quit your job, think it through properly so that you can make the best choice.
It is practical for you to want to find a better opportunity for yourself especially if you’re in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and other first-world economies.
It could also be because you want to start something of your own or possibly change to a new industry.
And sometimes, you just have signs you should quit your job immediately and move on.
Whatever the case may be, changing jobs is inevitable and we all would do that a couple of times in our active career years.
However, with the UK, USA, Australia, Canada, and many other countries of the world expected to manage a recession, quitting your job is a choice that needs to be carefully considered.
This is important because jumping off without a plan can be very dangerous; which is the more reason why you need to properly tick the checklist for quitting your job first.
If you are concerned with the question of “What should I do before I quit my job?”…
Here are some important things that you need to consider before leaving:
Evaluate The strength of Your Skill First Before Leaving Your Current Job.
You need to know the strength of your current skill before you quit your job.
If you have a high-in-demand skill or a high-income skill, getting a new job wouldn’t be a problem.
But If you don’t have such skills, leaving your current job without first upgrading your skillset might not be the best idea.
If you do, You might be left stranded or forced to take a job that sucks life out of you without paying you well enough.
Before you quit, do a skill evaluation to know what your skill strength is. And if you find it to be weak, upgrade before leaving the job.
How will Your Choice of Quitting Your Job Impact Your Dependents?
If you are single and have no one depending on you, you can quit your job and not miss a thing.
But it is a different ball game if you have people depending on you for some kind of support.
Your choice of leaving your job will impact them as your income will slow down within the period.
you will not have as much disposable income to be able to take care of yourself and those depending on you.
We all know that most times in life, our choices do not always affect us alone… It also affects those people that we love and owe a duty of care.
Before you resign from your job, try to consider how your choice is going to impact those people who are depending on you for support.
Sort this out completely before resigning from your employment.
How Financially Prepared Are You?
Do you have 3-6 months of emergency funds that will help you take care of your recurrent Bills?
What will happen if you stay unemployed longer than you planned.. how will you pay the Bills?
you need to make sure that you have enough free cash in your emergency savings that will enable you to take care of yourself.
Before you quit your job, Consider The Potential it might have.
The job you currently have might not look great, but does it have some future potential you can take advantage of?
We have examples of people who stuck with a seemly small company that went ahead to strike gold and those employees benefitted hugely.
This is a very important factor to consider especially if your company is playing in the tech, Biotech, medicals, and other viable sectors.
Before you quit your job, consider the potential of this current job you have.
Instead of Quitting your Job, Could you Renegotiate Certain Important Stuff?
You are Probably quitting your job because you are dissatisfied in some way…
It could also be that you are excessively stressed out or your mental health is negatively impacted.
Could you possibly renegotiate certain stuff with HR or even your Supervisor?
You could ask for more pay, more flexible work time, more pecs, and anything else that could help you.
Could you discuss with your supervisor and probably get certain things in your favor?
You also see how technology can help you to get things done more efficiently and faster.
Before you finally quit your job, try and see how much of those things causing you disaffection you can improve on
When you handle things properly, you could possibly get better opportunities and options without leaving what you currently have.
Do you Have Debt or a Mortgage?
If you have some mortgage payments, credit cards or any consumer debt, what is the plan for sorting things out?
When you leave your job, you might not have the income to fund your debts for some time. And this could put you under Financial Pressure.
So, before quitting your job, Make sure to know how the debts are going to be sorted.
Do you have a plan on how to use the idle Hours When You Quit Your Job?
By the time you quit your job, you will have a lot of time in your hand. If you don’t have a plan on how you will spend your idle time, it could become overwhelming and tiring.
That is why you need to figure out quickly what you would do when you quit…
Are you going to use it to study for an exam?
Are you going to use it to probably get a certification?
Will you use it to upgrade your skill?
What are some of the new things you will be learning?
Will you use it to invest in your personal development?
Figuring this out before you jump off your current job will ensure that waste weeks and months doing nothing meaningful.
In conclusion…
You need to understand the risks that are involved with quitting your job and adequately prepare yourself.
The decision of quitting your job doesn’t come before without consequences.
So before acting on this urge, consider all the likely drawbacks you will face in the short and long run.
Even if you have made up your mind about leaving, Make sure to stay on good terms with your colleague, former employer, supervisor, and everyone else.
Do not burn bridges… You might just need to cross that path again.