Professional growth does not come without pain. If the discomfort you feel is a temporary side effect of learning new things or taking on new challenges, quitting your job will deprive you of an opportunity to develop and advance professionally. On the other hand, if the discomfort is permanent or damaging, remaining in this situation will cause you to lose time in your career and will not contribute much to your professional development.
What is your personal “point of no return”?
Everyone has a personal set of factors that are firm turning points. What are yours apart from amount of minimum wage 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 – it’s up to you to decide what would be an absolute “no” for YOU.
What needs to change so that you want to stay?
This is the opposite 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 salvaged, even if only in theory. Maybe you need to report to someone else, find a trusted mentor, take 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 requires 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 this mess so you can start digging your way out.
As a working parent, should you quit your job?
As a working parent, you also need to consider other things besides the checklist above. Before you give your notice, consider all your options. Have you considered hiring additional help or asking extended family members to help? Or, if you have already ruled out these possibilities, have you spoken to your boss about the possibility of adjusting your schedule so that you are available to help with your children’s education?
The site Gross Salary found that almost a third of households rely heavily on childcare providers or family members for extra help, while just under half have successfully negotiated with their employer to modify their working hours based on their children’s schooling.
Additionally, ask yourself if raising your children was the primary reason you left your full-time job, or if you were already considering leaving your job when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. If you were already hesitant about staying at your company before your district announced its plans for the school year, that’s a sign it’s time to resign — whether or not you have a plan B for meeting academic needs of your children.