12 | 4 questions to ask yourself before you leave a job.

The great resignation.

Many of you remember this time in work a few years ago where it seemed like every employee was transitioning into a new role. For leaders, it was a difficult time to say the least. During Covid, people's view of work fundamentally shifted. The time away from the office gave many people the opportunity to ask themselves why they worked at the organization they were at. For many, it was a chance for a fresh start doing something that truly excited them to come to work everyday.

Now although that era has passed, the facts still remain that Gen Z and Millennials do not last very long at each employment stop. Gen Z spends on average, two years and three months at each job, while Millennials are not far behind, with an average of two years and nine months at each stop, according an article at Career Builder.

What that this mean? Well a number of things, but the main point I want to point out is young professionals tend to hop around jobs more than others.

I am saying this as someone who has moved into multiple roles myself through my young career, and I've been reflecting recently on what God has been teaching me through these different career moves and what may be helpful for someone like you who may be a young professional as well. You may be contemplating a job change, and I hope you know this article is not meant to make you stay at your organization. Sometimes, change is needed. You may be in a toxic work environment or the organization you contribute to does not provide much upward mobility. But in general, this article is meant for you, as a follower of Jesus, to ask some helpful questions about your situation before you decide to move on from a place.

Have I inquired with God and wise counsel about my desire to leave this job?

This seems pretty trivial, but if you truly want to follow Christ, you need to make time to talk with Him about your decisions, including vocationally. Many times, even as Jesus followers, we ask God for a lot of things, but we do not make time to truly present something to God and listen for a direction. We forget He is the Wonderful Counselor! When you go to a counseling session, you are not there to simply talk the ear off of the counselor, but rather to share what is going on and then sit back and listen to the counselor's guidance.

So many Christians miss this! Take time to present your desires and thoughts to God, but then sit back and listen for His direction. Write what He may be saying to you down, and inform other Jesus followers what He may be prompting you to do. Allow them to speak into your decision as counselors. Remember, if you say Jesus is your Lord, you should live like He is!

Is there another "seat on the bus" where I could thrive?

Perhaps you are at a larger organization with many different departments. Perhaps you enjoy the culture and people, but your role is not giving you life. If you are answering yes in your head to those probings, you may simply need to apply internally to a different role within your organization. If your leader is healthy, he or she will recognize your situation and hopefully you trust them enough to have that conversation about moving within. It's important before you have that conversation to fully understand what roles would be life giving to you, so you can be fully confident of where you could enjoy the work. Sometimes the best solution could be staying where you are at, but simply moving seats.

Have I truly hit a ceiling in my role, or is it just a temporarily hard time for my organization?

Every organization goes through different times. Whether it's staffing shortages, leadership transitions, or industry lulls, there are many reasons why work may be a little bit harder. Many of these external factors can mask themselves as promptings for an employee to leave the organization. Make sure you truly understand there is no possible way you can grow professionally within your organization before leaving. Sometimes it may be a situation of staying where you are, being patient, and riding out the temporary storms.

Do I have a focus on what I'd rather do for work?

Before making the decision to leave, it's important to do the deep work on knowing yourself and your gift mix. This is done prayerfully and in the context of trusted community. This process can take a few months and even years to discover, so if you in a role currently but see the timer beginning to wind down for you, begin understanding what in your current role do you enjoy, what in your role sucks the life out of you, and what do others say you are gifted in, among other questions!

At the end of the day, you may not have full, 100% clarity of what you would want to do instead, but you may be 80% clear and that is OKAY! Trust God and walk forward in faith into a new chapter, you got this!