Should You Quit Or Stay?

Thinking about a new job? Often when we think about it, we can feel stumped and overwhelmed when we contemplate how to begin the process, who to engage and how to really recognize what this new job might look like and how to make choices – how do you figure out what is the right move for you? Should you quit and find a new job? Or should you stay and make the best of where you are.

So take a few steps back and THINK:

(1) Is Your Job Worth Quitting?

Have you reached your potential here?

If you’ve genuinely done your best at your current job, frequently going above and beyond the responsibilities of the role, and the only thing growing is not your paycheck but your resentment, then it’s time to assess your professional trajectory and decide whether your career has any room to grow at your current company. It may be time to take your talents somewhere else.

What if the next gig is just as bad?

Using the concept of a bell curve, most of our jobs will be mediocre, a few might be downright dreadful and, if we’re lucky, we’ll have one or two gems in our resume. Of course, some of us are better than others at managing our own careers and choosing only top-notch opportunities, but most of us are really operating at the whim of chance. Moreover, a “perfect” job can easily go downhill if new management comes along and changes everything you hold dearly about your work – there are certain factors outside of our control.

Do you have a cash cushion?

Career and financial experts alike recommend that we should always have an emergency reserve at hand, even if we’re happily employed with no plans to leave because you never really know when the next layoff might happen. If you think you’re stressed now, how do you think you’ll feel when your next rent or mortgage payment is due, and you can’t pull the dough together? So, if you’re thinking of quitting soon, consider hunkering down for a few months and saving as much money as you can.

Is your health suffering?

Invest both money and time in your health and safety today and reap the benefits for decades to come. Just ask and save yourself the headache, literally. If instead you’re at the end of your rope and nothing can stop you from quitting, then ask yourself: what health measures will I take in between jobs, and at my next job, if the work-related stressors return? Don’t forget to take care of yourself.

(2) CHOOSE a good recruiter

Identify 2 to 3 specialist recruitment agencies that recruit in your field of expertise.

How:

• See what firms are advertising jobs related to your field / specialism.
• Compile a list of recruiter names.
• Look at their company website and LinkedIN profiles (for the firm and the individuals)

(3) Invest in planning with a detailed activity list and timeframe:

• Determine how much time you are going to spend on each activity daily.
• Identify those people that you are going to reach out to.
• Email the identified recruiters and ask them to schedule a call to discuss opportunities.
• Talk frankly with your recruiter – engage with them – tell them about your drivers and motivations and what is important to you in a new role. Tell them about your concerns and your aspirations so when they introduce a new role to you ask them how that role would address these.
• They may not have all the answers but should be able to address the key aspects and give you sufficient information to work with initially.
• Conduct your own due diligence on the proposed firm and its business and/or product.  Review the job specification – is it clear and comprehensive?  If not ask more questions.
• Review your cv in line with the job specification to ensure that you have adequately reflected your own experience relevant to the role with sufficient emphasis, using similar wording and commentary. A good recruitment consultant should be able to assist you with this task.  Remember your CV gives the reader their first impression of you – it’s essentially your first interview with subsequent interviews being a validation of the content of your cv and exploring areas of interest in more detail.
• If a company/job has an appeal, then discuss this with your recruiter so that they can make a compelling introduction on your behalf to the firm.
• During the interview process make sure that your recruiter gives you detailed information not just in relation to the basics but also on how you should prepare and what the focus and format will be.
• Discuss your feedback frankly with your recruiter at each stage during the interview process.  If you have any concerns, you should raise them with your recruiter, and if they cannot be adequately addressed then call a halt.
• You may receive a job offer and even though it meets much of your checklist there is something missing….whether you didn’t give a clear feel for the firm or have concerns that have not been addressed.  Discuss how to address these with your recruiter and if no plan to address surfaces, then you might consider withdrawing from the process or you might feel that the positives outweigh the risk.  (Note: Always remember that just because you agree to an interview does not put any onus on you to accept an offer from a firm – this was a fear that many of us have – it’s ok to say no).

NETWORK: Don’t forget that about 85% of jobs are found through networking. Network, talk to former colleagues, and follow firms of interest. Check out the practices to avoid when networking.

KNOWLEDGE is key.  The more you know the more informed your decision-making process will be.  You plan today based on the information you have available to you now and add to that a little gut instinct too.  Finding the right move for you is a complex process.  Taking the stress out of the process is helped by being honest with yourself, defining the process, scheduling key tasks, and finding the right recruiter for you.

Getting that new job can be likened to catching a bus – there’s never one when you quite need it even if you’ve invested time in researching the timetable and… just before you begin to despair several come down the road together – be informed, have patience before you choose which one to take.

Need help with your next career move? Check out our open roles on Allen Recruitment’s site or send us your CV and we will email you roles that match your skills and consider your CV for new positions, presenting you as a potential match to our recruiters:

Send us your CV and let us help you find your dream job

About Allen Recruitment

We are a team of expert recruitment consultants with offices in Ireland, the UK, the Netherlands, Spain, France, Sweden, Belgium and Poland, providing recruitment solutions and job opportunities all over Europe. We offer temporary, permanent, contract and contingency roles in a variety of industries such as IT, Tech, Finance, Telecom, E-commerce, Engineering and more.