Five questions to ask yourself before quitting your job

When you are no longer happy with your current job, there is a great temptation to quit and look for something new quickly. But before you start scouring job websites, it is good to answer the following five questions.

That will help you figure out what to look for in your next job. Or you might even find out that you can stay at your current job.

Why do you want to quit this job?

Well, you’re not happy with your job anymore. But how come? It is important to find this out first, because then you also know, for example, what kind of vacancies you should be looking for. Perhaps you are not in the right place at a large organization, and you come into your own better at a small personal start-up.

But it could also be that by answering this question, you find out that you are not happy with a temporary situation (for example, a project) and that you could enjoy your job again when it is over.

Finally, it is important to ask yourself whether you are unhappy with your job because of your job itself or because of other things going on in your life? Things you may not be fully aware of yet.

Have you changed, or is it your job?

It is also good to consider who or what has changed: you or your job. Have your tasks changed, and are you no longer enjoying yourself? Or have your core values changed? The same applies here: this is useful to know when finding your next job.

We spend so much of our lives at work that it is not surprising that the company’s core values should match your values and standards. Only in this way will your work feel valuable.

So: what do you value today? Is that the freedom to go where you want? Or is that just daily structure? If you have this clear, you will know what kind of job to look for.

What would make me happy at my current job?

We have more influence on our jobs than we might initially think. Nowadays, we quickly start looking for a new job, while we may quickly find the happiness in our current job with ready small adjustments. You call it job crafting. So, in addition to the answer to questions 1 and 2, it is good to consider what kind of adjustments these could be.

Have you figured out what would make you happy in your current job? Then start a conversation with your manager. Only then will you know what is possible within your current company.

Can I financially manage to quit my job?

If you are looking for the same job at another company (instead of a different position), you can choose to look for a new job first before quitting your old job. However, if you want to make a career switch and have to do education to do that or be unhappy at your current job, this is a different story.

Then it is good to do some calculations. Can you save yourself a few months if you quit your job now? Calculate how much money you need per month to pay your fixed costs and make sure that you can pay it for many months without money coming in. That saves you a lot of stress and problems.

Is your bar still at a realistic level?

The grass is always greener on the other side, but we tend to forget that. Remember that no job is perfect, and there will always be tasks and situations at work that you don’t like.