Sometimes, when you’ve been at a job for a certain amount of time, you just know when it’s time to quit. Your coworkers are getting on your nerves just a little more than they should, your boss’ orders and management style just don’t seem to work for you anymore, and you’re begging the clock to move faster just so you can leave earlier. This is a surprisingly common situation, and the good news is that it’s never too late to start a new career if you’re not happy in your current position. Here’s our checklist of what you should do when it’s time to walk away and start afresh.
Make sure you definitely want to leave
The worst thing you can do in this situation is walk away on the spot. If you do this, you’re burning bridges you should leave intact; you never know when you might need a reference or to rely on a network you’ve built, so don’t leave in anger and don’t rush your decision. Think about it for a few weeks first. If you seriously can’t stand another day in your current place of employment, at least serve out your notice; leaving abruptly can cause serious problems for you and your career later down the line.
Get your financial situation sorted
Before leaving your job, it pays – literally – to ensure that you have enough money to survive on, at least for the immediate future. As such, try to work enough to squirrel away some savings for the rainy days that may be in your future. If you can’t stretch to this, then know there are always options available; bad credit personal loans will see you through some rough patches. However, you should try to use savings while you’re searching for more work, because this has fewer risks associated with it.
Keep your colleagues close
Anyone that you’re still close with at your job deserves to be kept in the loop. Whether it’s your boss, a coworker, or someone from a different department, be sure to keep your colleagues informed about what you’re doing. You never know when they might be able to give you information about new job opportunities, and besides which, they’ll be able to emotionally support you during your last few weeks at your job. You never know – you might inspire them to come with you!
Help train the new arrival
If you give an adequate notice period, your “replacement” will probably arrive before you leave. Your workplace may well ask you to train this person and ensure they have the correct skills to do the job, so if you want to save face with your company and keep yourself in their good books for the future, it’s a good idea to agree to do this. Don’t be bitter or jaded; talk them through what you need to do, and don’t constantly barrage them with all of the negative aspects of the job.
Start looking for new work as soon as you’re ready
It’s totally okay to take a small break while you recuperate from the stresses of the job you’ve left. However, you shouldn’t leave it too long. While gaps on your CV aren’t quite the death sentence they used to be, especially in our more mental health-aware world, you may still need to explain larger periods of unemployment and inactivity to employers. It’s best to start looking for new work as soon as you feel ready to get back into the job hunt.
Volunteer while you’re out of work
If you can stretch to it financially, it’s an excellent idea to volunteer while you’re not working. This way, you can keep doing something that will keep you occupied, build up skills on your CV, and make sure there aren’t any pesky gaps to explain away. It doesn’t necessarily matter where you volunteer, but try to choose somewhere that will complement the skills you’ll need in whatever career you’re intending to go into next. That will make you even more desirable to prospective future employers!
Network constantly
Supposedly, 85% of all vacant positions are filled using networking. This means that it’ll definitely benefit you to get out there and start making friends, even if you’re not currently working. Try to attend events based around networking so you can build connections; you never know who you might meet. Whenever you’re lucky enough to be employed, make sure that you’re exchanging contact information with important and relevant people whenever you can.
Claim whatever benefits you’re entitled to
The stigma around unemployment benefits is completely unjustified and undeserved. The fact is that they can help you enormously when you’re struggling to survive out of work, and although they’ll never be enough to pull you through on their own, you should still look into whatever benefits you can claim while you’re unemployed. You’ll almost certainly be entitled to at least something, unless you’ve got a huge amount of savings, so apply as soon as you’re able.
Create a budget
You should ideally be making a budget for unemployed living before you even leave your job. That way, you’ll know exactly what you’re walking into and how to manage it before you begin. This can be difficult; be prepared to give up creature comforts like driving, branded goods, and more expensive consumer electronics. However, living on a budget is possible, even if you’re unemployed. Make some cutbacks and be harsh with yourself and you should make it through.