Are you thinking
of quitting before finding another job?
Here are some
thoughts that might help.
Quitting before finding another job is like a Hail Mary pass. A last-ditch attempt to desperately escape a seemingly hopeless situation. Despite this, sometimes an uncalculated or haphazard decision can shake things up.
If you’re on the verge of quitting without another job in the pipeline, work is likely not in a good state in your life. Your job is a source of pain, burnout and despair and you feel that you just need to step away. You’re in survival mode and you’re trying to desperately find some sense of peace for a fresh start.
In weighing the options of whether to quit your job or stick it out, it’s easy to get caught up or feel guilty about the decision. It’s typical to think there’s one singular, correct move and if you make the wrong one, then everything will be a colossal failure. You’re in fight or flight state and all your options seem to shrink down. It’s impossible to think clearly or take decisive action from a place of empowerment when you’re in this state.
A potential argument
for quitting before finding another job
Your career is seemingly in shambles. You’ve tried every angle, approach and outlook to try and make it work in your job, but you can honestly say that it’s not uplifting you anymore (or maybe it never did). You need a change.
A sensible person who's always calculated and strategic might look at quitting a job without a backup plan as a recipe for failure. But… for someone stuck in an unhappy job, forever trying to be cautious and calculated might forever keep you stuck in that miserable job until the end of time. Being fearless in taking a leap might get you unstuck.
The bold or reckless decision to leave your job might shuffle the deck. It may offer you a fresh start towards a purposeful career.
We can often overvalue the importance of making a sensible short-term decision, even if it means suffering more in the long run. At times you just gotta rip the band aid off and take a chance.
Now, as a Career Development Professional I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that quitting without a job lined up first is the right decision for you (or anyone else). It’s just an interesting thought experiment.
How quitting can lead to positive change
When I stepped away from my prior career in the home maintenance industry, I was basically quitting before finding another job. At the time I knew I wanted to get out of the business but I was really struggling with being decisive in pulling the trigger on leaving. The decision seemed so final and decisive. I was worried I would regret leaving my career.
I was stuck in a limbo state in my career. I desperately tried to find a calculated and fail proof transition into the next chapter in my life. But, in trying to minimize the uncertainty of changing jobs, I was endlessly procrastinating on taking the leap.
At that time, my son was about 6 or 7 months old. I had a moment where I was looking at him and realized I wasn’t being the best father. Because of my unhappiness at work I was carrying that attitude off the job and around my family. In that moment I made the decision, no matter the consequences I must take the leap towards another direction in my career. No matter how fearful I was, I owed it to my son.
Knowing myself and as someone who was running a business, I wouldn’t have been able to commit to a new career path while I was still in my previous job. The business would have consumed all of my time and resources. I needed a clean slate and a fresh start. For me this required quitting before finding another job. Then, I could rebuild from there.
In my own career change I was fortunate to have a financial safety net. Not everybody has this luxury. It’s important to make decisions on when to leave a job with this in mind. For example, It’s never a good idea to quit a job and leave yourself or your family hungry or homeless.
What may seem like failure might lead to well... Success!
Leaving a job or career is such a monumental decision. Some people contemplate quitting for years before they finally make the move. When you finally quit, you may feel disoriented, disillusioned and out of sorts. You may think that you had all these plans and fantasies about how things would go and that it isn’t playing out how you expected.
It’s essential in the early stages of a job or career transition to be kind and forgiving of yourself. Even if everything isn’t perfect or seamless it doesn’t mean it’s a failure. If you’re someone like me who’s prone to falling into low mood, it’s important to embrace the emotions of leaving a job. You can use them as a tool for learning about yourself rather than falling into the abyss. When leaving a job, it’s not uncommon to go through a period of grief. It’s a normal process.
Quitting a job is a major life change. The success of how it plays out in your life ultimately plays out is determined by how you can handle the chaos and uncertainty of the transition in life. This is where your strength and resilience shines!
When we’re in a time of change, we often get pulled towards making decisions based on escaping the discomfort of change rather than building towards the future we ultimately want. You don’t want to replace your job with just any other job. Leaving a job with success should allow you replace it with building a meaningful career path.
Build towards a meaningful career
If you’re planning on quitting before finding another job, I suggest first changing your outlook on work. For someone that’s unhappy in a job, you don’t want to quit one uninspiring occupation and replace it with another. Remember, you don’t want just any job but a purposeful career.
A job is something you show up to because you need the money. A career is something you intentionally, willingly and continuously work towards daily. A career encompasses more than just the job role but a larger vision for your life. Within a career pursuit, you may have job roles that you aren’t deeply inspired by, but if they’re part of your larger career vision, they still offer meaning.
If you are quitting without a backup plan, think about extending the time horizon for your career success. Instead of short-term gratification, think long term. How can you build a career that contributes to your vision of the best version of yourself. The version of you that contributes deeply to the things that are important in your life.
As you leave one job (or decide to stay), see your next move, regardless of how small as a step towards your career vision. Everyone has a different and unique vision. Some people may require a different work environment, decide to start a business, acquiring further education, travel or learn a new skill.
Summary
- Shaking up your career might offer new opportunities
- If you quit, embrace the change
- Adopt a meaningful career path
- Change your career outlook
- Think with a long-term vision