How to know when it’s time to quit your job

Thinking of quitting your job? Whether you’re miserable and dream of walking out in a dramatic TikTok-worthy fashion, or if you’re just feeling stagnant and uninspired, leaving your job is a huge decision.

The first step is deciding if you can improve what you don’t like about your work. If you’re not learning anything new or don’t feel challenged anymore, or even if you feel like there aren’t career advancement opportunities, it’s worth having a conversation with your manager to see if there are adjustments you can make. Of course there are some things that make people leave a job that can’t be fixed: red flags like toxic colleagues or chronic burnout. 

While “take this job and shove it” exits are fun to fantasize about, once you do decide to leave, it’s best to do so on good terms, even if you hate your job. Giving two weeks’ notice and handing over your responsibilities will leave your soon-to-be-former colleagues in a better place and will leave everyone with a good impression. As for the exit interview, measured honesty can be helpful only if the person conducting the interview is open to hearing it and in a position to act on the feedback.

Finally, sometimes you find yourself in a job that you’d like to leave but just can’t yet due to finances or other circumstances. Even in that less-than-ideal situation, you still have options, such as spending more time with colleagues you like, to cope with a bad situation until you can make a more significant change.