Leaving your job is a brave decision, but picking the right time to leave is an even tougher call. Whatever your reason for making this move, you should take this time of the year – when businesses are slowly winding down – to think it through.
If you’re having trouble making up your mind, these considerations should help you decide if you should stick it out for the New Year or go.
You should quit after the New Year if:
● You need more time to wrap up the projects at hand – The best gift you can bestow your team this festive season, is a smooth task handover. No team members should be left to struggle upon your departure.
By the end of your role, your team members should be running on fourth gear without you. Make sure you’re also no longer accepting new projects or tasks at this point, and are only working to hand work over to your team. A graceful departure does wonders for your relationship with your soon-to-be ex-colleagues.
● You have no new job offers lined up – If you have nothing going on for you immediately, you might as well wait it out just a little. In a volatile economic environment where employers are still cautious about hiring, you can use this time to map out your career plans ahead and find ways to ramp up your visibility to dream employers out there.
● You want your holiday bonus – This shouldn’t be a main driver for any job (your determination to succeed and grow should be!) but it is nonetheless a factor. Some companies offer holiday bonuses as a cherry on top of their employees’ year-long hard work. Our pro tip is to not to discount yourself of that reward by leaving before the bonus gets distributed.
You should leave now if:
● You’re extremely unhappy in your current role – Whether it’s not getting the recognition or development opportunities you feel you deserve, or just constantly dealing with the unhealthy office politics, that buildup of work dissatisfaction can cause a dip in work productivity and your morale all around. Quitting might lead to a transition period of change if you do not have a job lined up, but the negatives of staying in the environment definitely outweighs the positives of moving on – as long as you are leaving for the right reasons. Making a snap decision to leave without trying to resolve your issues is not the way to go, so think long and hard about any decision.
● Your new job offer is leaps and bounds ahead of your current role – If you have a new job that’s offering you a better position, a fat paycheck and a fantastic work environment, making that leap is almost a no-brainer. Need we say more?
● You need a break – Whether you have a job lined up ahead or not, sometimes all you need is a break from the hustle and bustle of a full-on career (if you can afford it!) Many outstanding career folks have stepped into alternative careers paths just to reconnect with themselves before diving straight into the next job.
Your break could be that great anecdote that helps you ace your upcoming ambitious job interview.
Browse the available positions or start have a strong lineup of options handy for when the time comes here.
