When to Leave a Job: 12 Signs to Watch Out For

Published Nov 7, 2021

Deciding to leave a job is an important event in your professional career. While it is natural to have difficulties at work, experiencing a profound and ongoing discontent with your job is worth considering. It’s critical to differentiate between when you should work through a problem and when to leave a job.

There are numerous legitimate personal and professional reasons to resign. So when to leave a job? Here are the signs to watch out for: 

1. You are not maximizing your skills.

While it is often convenient, a job that does not challenge you or your skills should be one of the reasons why you should leave. Maintaining this state may limit your possibilities for progress and result in feelings of complacency or frustration. This is especially true if your manager or senior leaders have denied you the opportunity to use diverse skill sets.

2. Your work is not aligned with your passion.

When someone is passionate about their work, they develop a deeper sense of purpose and fulfillment. Additionally, it usually results in increased rates of productivity, improved outcomes, and occasionally the feeling of not working at all. Without this, work can become tedious and resemble more of a job than a profession. 

Furthermore, you may feel that you are squandering your potential by failing to apply your skills to something you are passionate about. If you are dissatisfied with your job or the work of your company, try seeking another role.

3. No opportunities for growth. 

When your company’s growth opportunities have decreased, it’s usually time to move on. Opportunities for growth in a company are not restricted to promotions or vertical advancement. 

Moreover, opportunities may present themselves through employment on a new project, learning in a new part of the business, mentoring by a senior leader, or taking on a mid-level leadership position. Engage your manager and make a formal request for this type of opportunity before resigning. If your company cannot consider any kind of growth opportunity, this is a sign that you should leave.

4. You are grossly underpaid.

While individuals may occasionally take a lower salary in exchange for a unique opportunity or non-monetary fringe benefits, you should consider quitting if you are considerably underpaid for your role. Being underpaid can indicate a misalignment between your perceived value and growth potential and that of the company. 

This incompatibility might have various consequences for the duties you are assigned and your time with the organization. Remaining in this situation can also result in dissatisfaction or resentment due to the logistical lifestyle consequences of a low salary, substandard healthcare, or other benefits.

5. You are incapable of fulfilling your job responsibilities.

If you are incapable of fulfilling your job responsibilities due to a physical illness, sudden changes in your personal life, or structural changes within the company, you should think about leaving. Continually working in a position where your capacity to perform your job responsibilities is jeopardized puts you at risk of termination. 

Along with the immediate financial consequences of termination, getting laid off might negatively affect your capacity to find work elsewhere. Therefore, consider leaving the job if your efforts to modify your job responsibilities or the circumstances causing the difficulty are pointless.

6. You detest the thought of going to work.

It’s natural to feel sad when the weekend is over or look forward to days off/vacation time. However, if you experience a pit in your stomach when you think about work or cannot sleep at night due to anxiety about going to work, it may be better to leave. 

While work does not have to be satisfying or enjoyable, you should feel at ease there. You spend a substantial chunk of your day at work, and if your time off is spent dreading your return, your physical and mental health are likely to suffer.

7. You cannot see yourself staying there in the long run.

Like seeing no room for growth, if you cannot envision yourself staying at the company in the long run, it may be time to consider other possibilities. It can take anywhere from a few months to a year to find a new and more suitable job, so if you cannot see yourself working at your current employer a year from now, consider commencing your job hunt immediately.

8. Your ethics are compromised.

When to leave a job? When you are forced to compromise your ethics or decision-making, it is time to quit. This is especially true in professional situations, where the potential long-term consequences for your career are significant. Even if the compromise is necessary to maintain your current job, it can have a detrimental effect on your capacity to obtain future employment as well as your morale and sense of pride in the process.