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Should you quit your job before you have a plan?
As a career design coach and educator, I often talk to people who wish they liked their work. Their current job is dragging them down, and they dream of pursuing something more fulfilling.
If this is you, you might have thought about quitting your job to pursue something better. But maybe you’re not sure what “something better” looks like yet because you haven’t had time to figure it out — you’re too busy with the job you don’t like!
“But,” you’ve been thinking, “if I left my current job, I would have the time to plan, network, apply, or re-skill.” Should you go for it?
My advice is: “not yet.”
You might be surprised to hear this because I’m a big advocate of creating a career you enjoy. But don’t quit right away if you haven’t made a plan for what’s next.
Instead, invest time to create a compelling vision for what you’d love work to look like, then take steps to make it happen. Once you’ve got a general plan and timeline for your next professional step, you should craft a strategy for leaving your current job.
Leave a job you don’t like, but not without a plan
There are three reasons I advise clients not to quit their jobs before they have a clear plan.
