Not Happy? When To Quit Your Current Job

As I’m sure you noticed, Jenn and I have been doing everything but blogging the last couple weeks. We definitely have been feeling guilty and miss connecting with all of you. Today, I’m getting back on the bandwagon, and will hopefully be better at keeping up moving forward!

Speaking of moving forward, this week I got a call from a fellow Badger that I hadn’t heard from in almost a year. She has been following our leap from corporate life to small business ownership – and expressed her own desire to do the same. Having worked at the same company for about a year, she is realizing that she doesn’t feel the fulfillment she desires from her job and would like to do something more geared towards helping others. The question at hand: how does one know if it’s the right time to make the leap and quit a steady paycheck?

Now, I am by no means an expert on this topic, but I am able to share my personal experience about leaving. Most people are shocked to find out that Jenn and I weren’t laid off or fired, but indeed did quit our jobs to pursue this adventure. “In this economy?! That’s brave,” is most people’s response.

I guess it was. And I like to joke that I was drunk when I did it. But in all actuality, we had a plan – a safety net of sorts – which made it much easier to leap. Personally, I recommend having the same before putting in your two weeks. Here are the top three areas I believe you should have covered before writing your resignation letter.

Dollars and Sense

I am often asked how much money I had saved away when I quit my job. The truth is barely any. I was working an entry-level PR job in Chicago, after having put myself through college, so I wasn’t exactly sitting on a nest egg. That being said, I had no debt (besides school loans) and was going into a serviced-based profession, which would require less start-up cash than a product-based business.

Personally, I think it is a misconception that you need to be the heir to a small fortune or have saved up thousands of dollars before you can quit your current gig to chase something you love. However, I do think it is absolutely crucial that before you quit, you have a back-up source for income. One of the largest reasons I felt comfortable quitting The Agency was because I knew I was able to support myself as a bartender and server. I had done it for seven years, through part of high-school and college, and knew I could always find a part time job for supplemental income while we got started. Basically, I knew I wouldn’t be on the street if it took us six months to get our first client.

Luckily it didn’t, and I never had to go back to waiting tables, but I always knew (and still do) that it was an option. So before you up and leave your steady paycheck, make sure you have a second option while you’re waiting for your dream career to swing into full motion. Whether it’s a family you know you can nanny for, lawns that always need mowing or a gig selling second-hand clothing for friends on E-Bay, you’ll be glad you have something in line when things don’t go exactly as planned.

The Three Musketeers

Not everyone is going to get behind your decision. As humans, we often like things that are practical and make sense. Quitting a stable job to chase a dream career will seem silly and frivolous to some. And that’s OK! The great thing is that we can all live our own lives and make our own choices. Don’t let these people’s opinions stop you from doing what you feel is right.

You do, however, need a trio of people who truly believe in what you are doing and will help you forge along when even you think things seem downright impossible. Find these people before you leave your current gig. They will be an indispensable part of your adventure, trust me.

They are the people that you will call at one in the morning, asking if “they too think you are crazy for having left the corporate world to be a archeologist”, because at that moment you will feel with every bone in your body that it was a mistake. It wasn’t. You knew what you were doing, and these three friends will walk you back through every reason you quit and every excitement you’ve experienced to that point, until you are back to your enthusiastic, motivated self.

Reality Check

Quitting your job is the easy part. It’s the days, weeks and months following that are the real challenge. While you will have some of the most amazing moments of your life forging your own path, you will also have some of the most difficult, proving that working for yourself (or a new boss in your dream field) is not always a walk in the park. Know this before you quit – and embrace it!

Give yourself a reality check and ask if you are leaving because you’ve had a bad month or if you really feel you would thrive and be happier in a different gig. If things seem difficult and you believe it would be easier to do something you’re passionate about, know this: landing your dream job is harder than sticking with your current employment.

However, if you can come to terms with the little (and big) challenges that lie ahead – and be honest about the fact that your life is not instantly going to become more glamourous, fulfilled or easy – than I say start drafting your resignation letter and prepare for what will be an amazing experience!

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While there are many other aspects to business that I believe should be mulled over before opening your own, I truly feel that if you have the above three areas figured out, you are ready to quit your current job to pursue a career that will have you saying #TGIM. It will take hard work, dedication and sacrifice, but in the end will open doors that you never even knew existed. If you’re thinking about making the change, let me know. I’m happy to be one of your musketeers, encouraging and supporting you along the way!