The importance of knowing when to leave your job can’t be overstated. Staying too long at any one job comes at a significant opportunity cost, stretching beyond just financial means.
So far in my career, I’ve always been better off for switching jobs. Making the tough decision to leave companies thus far has always netted me increased financial stability, better career opportunities, and expedited learning.
From my four job transitions thus far I’ve gleaned important lessons, the first of which is that, ironically, the best time to look for a new job is when you don’t want one. While this sounds counterintuitive, it actually makes perfect sense. When you have a job that you’re happy with, it would take a lot for you to be willing to leave it. Because of this, it’s actually the ideal time to casually browse for other opportunities. It allows you to be very particular about the companies you’d be willing to work at and how much money it’d require for you to be able to do so, amongst many other things.
Job searching in this type of situation also puts you in the best possible position for negotiating with potential companies, as there’s truly no losing for you. You either get exactly what you want from the new employer, and you leave your current company, or you don’t, and you stay where you are. Truly not caring about an outcome is the ultimate leverage.
A less ideal scenario for when to leave your job is when you no longer feel yourself learning. I feel this is particularly true earlier in your career. When you’re early in your career, you should be a sponge, soaking up all the knowledge you possibly can. When this learning begins to plateau, it’s time to move on to a new opportunity.
The problem with this scenario is that as your rate of learning slows, the ease of doing your job tends to increase. Because of this inverse relationship, it can be tempting to become complacent. In other words, the longer you stay at a job, the easier it becomes to continue staying.
To help prevent myself from being lulled into comfort, I actively remind myself what I’m actively foregoing by not changing jobs. I find that analyzing the decision through this lens can be particularly helpful, since it can be easy to kick the can when you’re comfortable.
The third and final indicator that you’re destined for greener pastures is being disrespected on the job. While some might find this controversial, I hold this belief firmly. The second I feel disrespected on the job is the moment I become available for new opportunities. Life is too short to be miserable working with a disrespectful manager or unkind teammates.
One thing I never settle for is being mistreated. If I don’t feel respected or that my work isn’t appreciated, I have zero hesitation to look for new teams internally or new opportunities externally. Software engineers are in demand — another company that will treat you with the respect you deserve is one interview away.
I’ll leave you with two final, important points. The first of which is to never feel bad leaving a company. Too many people get attached to their job and their employer. Many people feel that they owe something to their employer, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. A job is a mutually beneficial agreement between you and your employer — that’s why you sign a contract.
If for any reason that agreement ceases to be beneficial, your employer won’t hesitate to terminate it, and you shouldn’t either. If you disappeared today, there would be a posting for your position tomorrow. Do what’s best for you, always.
The last thing to remember is that accepting new opportunities gives you more perspective. If each job is a data point, collecting more data allows you to further refine what is important to you in a job. Therefore, as you move through different opportunities, hopefully you’re also moving closer and closer to your dream job. I’m lucky to say that this has been the case for me.
Don’t be afraid of leaving a job, be afraid of staying at one you shouldn’t.
Drop a like ❤️ and comment below if you made it to the end of the article.
I never thought about leaving a company whilst I'm still happy being there, but your reasoning makes sense, I will keep it in mind for my next move
Kevin, I would like to have your personal contact so that you are just a dm away from me when I need an answer regarding principles in our career.