Professional growth does not come without pain. If the discomfort you feel is a temporary side effect of learning new things or facing new challenges, leaving your job will rob you of an opportunity to grow and progress professionally. On the other hand, if the discomfort is permanent or damaging, staying in that situation will take time away from your career and do little for your professional development.
What is your personal "point of no return"?
Everyone has a personal set of factors that are firm no-return factors. What are yours besides the smic amount too low? An abusive boss or manager, a job that offers no opportunity for career growth and development, a commute to the new office that takes two hours in one direction - you decide what would be an absolute "no" for you.
What needs to change for you to want to stay?
This is the reverse of the third question: Instead of thinking about what would make the decision to quit obvious, think about what it would take to stay. Most situations can be saved, even if only in theory. Perhaps it would require you to report to someone else, find a trusted mentor, seize a good career development opportunity or an interesting side project.
Have you exhausted all possibilities to improve the situation?
This question is perhaps the most difficult, because it forces you to realize that the complicated and painful situation you find yourself in was co-created with your active participation. Be brutally honest and ask yourself if you really did everything you could to improve the situation. Take responsibility for your part in the mess so you can start digging your way out.
As a working parent, should you quit your job?
As a working parent, there are other things to consider in addition to the checklist above. Before you give notice, consider all your options. Have you considered hiring additional help or asking extended family members to help you? Or, if you have already ruled out these options, have you talked to your supervisor about adjusting your schedule to be available to help with your children's education?
The Gross Wage site found that nearly one-third of households rely heavily on childcare providers or family members for extra help, while just under half have successfully negotiated with their employers to modify their work schedules to accommodate their children's schooling.
In addition, ask yourself if your children's education was the main reason you left your full-time job, or if you were already considering quitting when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. If you were already hesitant to stay with your company before your district announced its plans for the school year, that's a sign that it's time to quit-whether or not you have a Plan B to meet your children's educational needs.
