Five Good Reasons to Leave Your Job

You may have heard: People don’t leave jobs, they leave bosses. And while I believe this to be very true, there are other good reasons to leave jobs. Here are five:

1. You Don’t Want Your Supervisor’s Job or Their Supervisor’s Job or Even the Corner Office

I know this sounds really negative, but we can take the emotion out of this statement by looking at your situation objectively. It may be that you accepted your position because you have a specific skill that the company needed. Maybe you wanted to practice or improve that skill. Maybe you understood how much your skill was needed and felt a great deal of satisfaction improving the company through your efforts. But now that you’ve done that, you can feel good about accomplishing what you set out to do. You’re happy, your supervisor is happy, your co-workers are happy and honestly, I can’t think of a better time to move on for other challenges that excite you. Enjoy the going away party and keep those healthy relationships.

2. Your Needs Have Changed

Lifestyle changes are an important factor in decisions about where we work and why, perhaps now more than ever. Through the pandemic, we witnessed how workers found they could travel the country in an RV, yet stay connected and get their work done while watching the buffalo roam in Yellowstone National Park. Thus, freedom, flexibility and quality of life are now playing a major role in the decisions of today’s workforce. Young parents are smart to choose jobs with flexibility and great health insurance plans. People who love community may choose a company that offers strong social opportunities – like a membership to a gym or an actual gym, or weekly meetings where the company springs for lunch, or even a very team-oriented atmosphere that promotes people working together, in person. Know what you need at this particular time in your life and go get it.

3. You Want to Grow

Let’s face it, there’s only one CEO or one president of a company. If that’s the job you want, you most likely need to work your way up. However, the vertical climb may not be possible where you are if those on the ladder above you aren’t moving as fast as you are or getting out of the way completely. To avoid frustration, face it and go find a higher rung that’s available somewhere else. This is where you can benefit from a more experienced and well-connected mentor who can help you chart that next step on your journey, support you in matching your aspirations to growth opportunities and build your network so others can know about the rising star that you are! Remember, you are playing the long game here, so you want to develop the practical knowledge and leadership skills that build your confidence and equip you for whatever is waiting at the top.

4. You Want to Leap

You’ve enjoyed your career as an auto mechanic and the business you’ve helped build is humming along nicely. But now you want to do more than hum. That fantasy career you’ve been dreaming about since you saw Adele in concert is calling, and rumor has it, you now want to be that soulful singer-songwriter who’s been playing the soundtrack of your life in your head. Someone like you could be the next big thing, but you need to get serious about it, make time for it and do what you need to do to be successful. Could you still be an auto mechanic by day? Maybe, but who could blame you if you put down that wrench, picked up a guitar and said, “Hello,” to that thing that makes your heart want to set fire to the rain? No one should get in the way of your dream, not even you. And that’s why you have to do it!

5. You’ve Never Lived in Paris

Millions of us (not an exaggeration) have watched Emily (in Paris) leave what was safe, comfortable and predictable for an entirely new environment where she didn’t have any friends, know the landscape or speak the language. Astronomer Carl Sagan said “Exploration is in our nature. We began as wanderers and we are wanderers still. We have lingered long enough on the shores of the cosmic ocean. We are ready at last to set sail for the stars.” If what you know is no longer working for you, has lost its twinkle or keeps you wondering what’s beyond your shore, it could be time to point your rudder toward an entirely different world. If this is you, let’s shove off!

When you decide to leave a job, it doesn’t have to be because you can no longer stand your boss, your environment or your position. In fact, try hard not to get to that place. Paris is better. And when you make a change for a new challenge, professional growth, personal circumstances, a calling or simply an adventure, your associates can respect that and celebrate you for the future you are intentionally moving toward. FBN

By Bonnie Stevens, FBN

Bonnie Stevens is the editor of FBN. She is a career journalist and public relations consultant. She can be reached at bonnie.stevens@gmail.com.