4 undeniable signs that

it's time to quit your job

Quitting can be a good thing when you know that the timing, and your
reasons, are right
Jonathan Yabut
Published 11:38 AM, November 10, 2014
Updated 12:55 PM, Jan 02, 2015

Does this sound familar? You are hyperactive and mighty on your first year,
and then you plummet like a roller coaster by the time you hit your fifth year.
You arewere one of the high-flyers in the company, but these days youre not
giving your best. Youve lost the spark, the passion, and the flame you finally
want to quit.

You want to quit, but youre not sure why, and you cant put your finger on it.
Maybe you hate your new boss, youre fed up with the perceived
incompetence of people in your organization, you got an invitation from a
recruiter on LinkedIn, or you simply don't feel excited about your job anymore.
The strong feeling of wanting to quit should always be examined, not ignored.
Here are 4 signs that can guide you to justify that its time to start clearing your
desk.

More from Jonathan Yabut:

READ:
The 5 unspoken rules to getting promoted
The 4 things you should stop doing at work

 At work, it's okay to say no to your boss

1. Youre too stressed and exhausted, it's on a different level

While stress may be relative to each one of us, there will be jobs that are
clearly beyond the workload you were expecting. You feel tired every day, and
you dread waking up in the morning because you know whats ahead of you,
and its usually not good.
Hey, you look tired, says your college friend, who meets you on a Friday
night for drinks. The litmus test to knowing if youre too exhausted from your
job is when people start noticing it physically.
You get sick easily, you have adjusted to 4-5 hours of sleep everyday (heard
of the Indian CEO who died, despite this deliberate lifestyle?), and youre
either losing weight (for not ingesting much proper food) or gaining some more
(because of stress eating).
All the work stress is not worth it if youre going to end up in the hospital
anyway.
You may be one of those who are happily tiredfolks who love their job and
are addicted to the everyday adrenaline rush no matter how many items they
cross off their list. But you may also be one of those who are simply tired
because the demands are just too much, whether quantitatively or
qualitatively.
Unfortunately, this is when you might have underestimated the job description
before signing that contract or an organizational change burdened you to do
more work. If you painfully think that you deserve (and can find elsewhere) a

job that is more manageable and suited to your lifestyle, then you should
seriously consider moving out.
Remember that your role in this world is to live a life through a job, not end it
with one.
2. Your career is stagnating; youre not learning anything new
"We're not growing together anymore," says your most recent ex-girlfriend.
This is the same cue that can indicate your readiness to move out.
Like any relationship, your job shouldnt just help pay the bills. It should also
transform you into a better person smarter, more open-minded, more
ambitious, and more collected (the same things that make you a "catch" once
you become single again).
While salary is intuitively at the top of the list for most peoples
considerations in choosing a job, research shows that people are also
motivated by interesting work, challenge, and increasing responsibility.
When going to work isn't anymore a joyful chore of learning things that excite
you, it's time to consider something else.
When I worked in a telecommunications company as a marketing executive, I
learned how to interact with other people like engineers and accountants who
didn't report to me, but with whom I needed to work to get my project done.
When I worked in a pharmaceutical company, I was forced to drive for 4-6
hours along NLEX to visit far-flung pharmacies and hospitals. Like any
salesman, I learned how to talk to strangers and make connections in an
instant. I was the most absorbent sponge. And when I felt that I had absorbed
everything that I needed to absorb, I knew I was ready to leave.

I left because I was thirsty for more mistakes and lessons that can only be
found in a new environment that I knew nothing about.
Unless youre satisfied with what you have, you should leave if youre not
learning anything new anymore (and not just because you didnt get promoted
as you expected). Quit if your work has started to become a daily routine that
only makes you duller and not sharper.
Your work is supposed to make you feel that you are a value-adding asset to
the process, not a filler. During these times, it is only you who can make that
final decision, not your boss, and not your company.

Remember that your role in this world is to live a life through a job,
not end it with one.
3. You're not enjoying the company of your team
Many Pinoys will stay in a company despite the not-so-good pay and the twohour commute because they enjoy the company of their colleagues. "Welcome
Jonathan to the <insert company name here> family!" said the glossy neon
banner posted on my cubicle on my first day at work.
I still remember that special day when I first knew that I was in the right
company of people. Unfortunately, not all of us will be blessed with this fate.
Some of us will confront a phase in our corporate careers when we "just don't
fit in." I usually give myself 6 months to determine if Im with the right bunch of
folks.

WORK FRIENDS. Sometimes, it clicks

During my first 90 days, I join every opportunity to get to know people: those
company parties, those sports fests, and those "HR needs volunteers"
moments. But there will be times when no matter how hard your heart is
willing to beat, the people around dont in the same way. They dont laugh at
your jokes, they dont invite you for lunch, and they disappointingly find How
To Get Away With Murderboring (how could they, right?!).
You will naturally feel bad about rejection but dont ever feel that its all about
you. There will be organizations in this lifetime that werent meant for you
and this makes you unique.
You dont owe them your personal reasons, but you have all the right to leave
and be happy in the company of people who truly care about you.
It is these during these glorious moments of realizing what you dont like when
you finally appreciate the things that you truly like. Do you ever wonder why

some employees quit their jobs and go back to their former companies? The
answer is because theyve realized the same thing.
4. You can't seem to respect or look up to your boss
Most people quit their bosses, not their jobs. Research published by Gallup
Poll in 2011 showed that 80% of people leave their jobs because they cant
manage the relationship with their boss and not the demands of their job.
Motivation is a key driver to stay committed to your joband your boss is
partly responsible for this. He should know how to inspire you (or remind you
of your inspirations) to get things done.

HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR BOSS? Time to assess

Ever wondered why many folks hire a personal trainer? Its not just because
they need an instructor to tell them what to do, but because they need
someone to push and pressure them when the Force isnt strong enough to
get them to head to the gym.

During those stressful moments when you hate your job, you should be gritty
enough to push because either you want to impress your boss or because you
believe that hes stretching you to become the next superstar.
You know that your interest is in good hands because it is in his hands. We all
need a boss that will make us whisper to ourselves, I want to become like
you.
Ask yourself: do you want to become like your boss too (or become an even
better version of him)? Do you aspire to manage that bigger scope of work
that he is currently handling? Do you think you will get along with him well in
the next 12 or 24 months?
If you answered no, you might want to get transferred to another team or
organization because sooner or later he will likely be the reason that you will
leave the company. And you will likely leave because you know that you
deserve someone better.
A word of caution though: you should quit your boss if you dont believe in
his or her leadership and management philosophy, but you might want to think
twice if your boss is just stretching you to the extreme.
Ive had bosses who were worse than Miranda Priestley or Cruella de Vil but I
learned a lot from them and stayed longer, because I knew that nothing could
replace the skills and talent they transferred to me.
Dont quit a tough boss who polishes you painfully like a rough diamond. You
might be thankful years later when you look back.
At the end of the day
Quitting is a good thing when the time and reasons are right. Most folks
hesitate to quit because of fear of losing or the stigma of giving up.

But remember that theres also an upside to quitting: the faster you make the
right decision to move out, the lesser opportunity cost you incur for joining a
new company that fits you well, and one that can truly set you up for success.
Finally, before you hand down that resignation letter, do note that it is also your
responsibility to exhaust all solutions first in the most objective way. Good luck
in your next step! Rappler.com