Last updated September 15, 2021

It’s rarely a good idea to quit your job on a whim, but if i’s been nagging and gnawing away at you for a while, then it’s time to address the problem.

You may have turned to friends or co-workers who have told you to toughen up. Perhaps you’ve tried preserving or have started doubting your sanity.

Let’s start by setting the record straight, what you’re feeling is real, and it’s something we refer to as a professional decline in coaching circles.

What is professional decline?

Professional decline tends to happen later on in life but can happen at any time during your career. It’s usually accompanied by a sudden loss of confidence or no longer feeling successful. The hardest thing about this is that it’s hard to predict or recognise the symptoms.

Many clients who come to me have easy to recognise symptoms: they are unhappy in their jobs, experiencing bullying or have a tough decision to make. Professional decline shows up differently.

Often, this comes from having been in the same role or organisation for a while, and things become stagnant. You may experience boredom or realise that you are being overlooked for job opportunities that come up, or you may find that you are being pigeonholed.

7 signs it’s time to quit your job

If you’re experiencing any of these, then it’s time for you to do something about it (read on to find out what steps you can take).

No room for promotion. There may be a lack of opportunities. You may want to do more but feel as if your skillset is going unrecognised.
People perceive you in a specific function. For example, as an administrator or IT guru or something else. This means that when you apply for other roles, your application is more likely to be dismissed or that your talents go unrecognised.
You feel like it’s groundhog day every day. It’s the same thing day in, day out.
Your ideas are dismissed or shot down. This leaves you feeling hamstrung or constrained.
You catch yourself daydreaming. You frequently think about other roles or working for yourself.
You feel disconnected from your team. Your manager and your colleagues are on another wavelength altogether.
You are constantly clock watching. All the time.

If any of this sounds familiar, don’t panic. You do have choices.

You can transform your current role into the role you were excited to apply for and begin to win again. You can move on to another position in another company. Alternatively, you start that company you’ve always dreamed of getting off the ground (or buy an existing one).

Make your current job work for you

If you choose to transform your current role, you will likely need to learn some new hard skills and/or soft skills, such as building your emotional intelligence.

It may mean searching out ways to learn whilst you work, but fortunately, many online resources are available to work around your schedule.

It may also mean learning techniques such as developing your leadership or followership skills, so you stand out. This can mean building more effective working relationships or developing savvy organisation navigation skills to open up new opportunities for yourself.

A career coach can help you think through what you want. They’ll work with you to set goals as you learn, practice and advance these skills. They’ll show you where your ‘blind spots’ are, along with being your biggest supporter when the going gets tough.

Work out how to move on before quitting your job

If that doesn’t resonate with you, and you choose to move to a different role or career, then it’s time to work out your next step.

Ask yourself, ‘what do I want?’

To work in the same field but a different company?
More or less responsibility?
More or less flexibility?
Travel more or less?
What skills and knowledge are the most enjoyable to use? How does that translate into another role or another career altogether? Where are the gaps?
Do you want to work for yourself or own your own business?

Take time to explore LinkedIn and company career pages to learn about other organisations where you may want to work. Talk to friends and or reach out to current employees to learn more about what it’s like to work at that company.

You can also use job boards as a search engine. Keep your options open at this stage, and try searching for terms instead of job titles. Get a handle on what jobs are available and if any of them interest you.

Having a career coach to help you identify the right career strategy, develop your positioning, and practice your interviewing.

Become your own boss

If you dream of being your own boss, there are many ways you can make this a reality. Perhaps investigate buying an existing business or develop your own (one low-risk way is to develop this as a side hustle).

The key things to consider if you start your own business are these:

Develop your business positioning by understanding what is driving you to be in business for yourself. The main thing to tease out is your ‘why’. This means looking hard at what is it that is driving you. Consider personal values such as freedom, flexibility and how you are going to do what you do.
Work out how you will market your business. Here you must understand your customer and how you can help them. Developing a persona is an excellent way to do this. Understanding your customers will help you design and build things like branding, website (content is king), blogging and a social media presence.
Work out the plan. Work out how much it will cost you to set up and run your business. How much do you need to earn to cover those costs and make a profit? How much will you need to survive until your business is up and running?

Using a business mentor or coach can help you with their knowledge and expertise and act as a sounding board as you navigate the rapids and pitfalls of this starting your own business.

Whatever option you choose, know that this is only the start of the journey. You are dipping your toe in the water, beginning to dream again.

If you ever need help finding your way or changing careers, please feel free to get in touch.