The A-Z of the Better Job: E is for Exit

Not the exciting, $19B for a 50-person company, kind of exit either. Just the mundane kind that normal people make all the time. E could also have been for 'Eject, Eject, Eject!', which is sometimes appropriate, but not all exits have to be of the emergency kind.

I'm on about job number 7 or 8, depending on how you count, so that's 6 or 7 exits. I'm fortunate enough to have always been the one to decide to initiate exit procedures, although on more than one occasion it was pretty obvious that it was time to get out. There are three key considerations when exiting:

• When are you exiting? 'Right now' might be okay (maybe... possibly...), and I certainly understand that sometimes there's a visceral urge to exit in the most immediate fashion, but it's usually worth taking the time to consider the other questions.
• How are you exiting? It might be tempting to throw your toys out of your pram, or go out in some sort of blaze of glory, but not burning any bridges is usually good advice. Leaving a job is a moment of closure, and a good opportunity to reflect on the positives and discard the negatives (okay, try to discard, and not to stew on them).
• Where are you exiting to? Note that 'anywhere but here' is a perfectly fine destination, or next hop at least, as long as you are prepared for that situation. You might be lucky enough that your dream job lands in your lap while you are still enjoying your current job, but more often than not you won't be.

These considerations interact in various ways, and deciding when, how and where to exit to is often not easy. It can be tempting to 'jump ship' at the first available opportunity, but sometimes it's better to hold out for the right opportunity; if your current situation is unsustainable, then it pays to be prepared for an exit without the next job in the bag.

Being prepared for an exit is just common sense, especially when other people depend on you being employed to pay the bills. It's no different than having money saved to cover various types of emergency: sometimes you really will hit the emergency exit from employment, willingly or not.

Giving yourself a larger safety margin can give you the luxury of taking the 'anywhere but here' route, but that safety is not just financial: it's making sure your own emotional state is strong, it's preparing those around you for the situation, and it's having some semblance of a plan for what comes next. Sticking out a less-than-ideal situation to create that extra margin is not 'selling out', it's preparing yourself for a future exit.

Last, but by no means least, there's nothing wrong with quitting. Forgot all that bullshit about winners never quitting. Some situations are irrecoverable. You owe nothing to anybody, and have to do what is right for you. Our jobs can be all-consuming, and that leads to significant mental stress when they aren't going just how we'd like them to be. Mental and physical health is far more important than either longevity or persistence. And at the end of the day, the friends you made, and the knowledge you gained, don't get left behind when you leave a job.

E is also for entrepreneurship, or possible 'early stage start-up'. I'm not an entrepreneur, so I defer to others for the big picture, but I loved being part of an early stage start-up. Like most people who've been through that situation, I didn't make $$$, but I got a huge range of opportunities. It's a young person's game in many ways, but maybe I'll find that passion project and the right co-founder one day.

Up next: F is for focus, or is it flexibility? I forget. It's definitely not for Facebook.