You had certain aspirations when you took your current job. However, situations change, sometimes putting goals out of reach.
If your workplace no longer seems as welcoming and filled with possibilities as it once did, you may be considering quitting your job. Before you do, here are three questions to keep in mind.
Is your current position a good fit?
What keeps you at your current job? Is it the compensation? The company culture? If the benefits seem somewhat vague, you may not feel you have enough support to succeed in your role or the resources to do your best work. You may receive little recognition for a job well done. You may feel stressed more often than you used to. There may be a new employee who is cracking off-color jokes and making the work environment uncomfortable.
Are there rewards yet to come?
You feel you can ignore the increasingly uncomfortable atmosphere at work if you knew there was an upside, a new, interesting project, perhaps, that was just around the corner. You may wonder how much value your supervisor places on your work and how much chance there is for a promotion. You may also worry that someone less qualified will be promoted over you, especially if this has happened before. Before you make a decision to leave the company, are there trusted co-workers you can speak with who might know about future opportunities for which you could qualify?
Is the time right for making a move?
Your work history shows that you have skills and abilities that could blossom in the right setting. Can you envision participating in an interview with confidence, explaining how your skills can benefit a new employer? If you feel overworked and underappreciated, that you may be a victim of discriminatory practices and that your work environment has begun to feel oppressive, the best course of action may be to stay put and report the behavior.