To Leave or Not To Leave

As a career transition coach, one of the biggest questions that my clients face is whether they should leave their current jobs.

It reminded me of the time I was struggling to make a decision. It was a very tough period to navigate. The thought of leaving could be on your mind constantly, which could impact your work performance, mental capacity and mental health.

This is why we need to acknowledge the problem instead of brushing it away.

If you were looking to leave your job, chances are that you have googled something like "Shall I leave my job" already! I did the same a few years back, but the advice I saw wasn't always applicable. I felt that I could have benefited more from a set of thoughtful questions that prompted my thinking.

This is why I'm now sharing my questions here as a guide for you:

(1) What is causing you to consider leaving?

The first question we need to check is your "why". This could be due to multiple factors, but what is the biggest driver to leave? Bear in mind there are no right or wrong answers.

Some questions to ask yourself are as follows:

• What is the root problem? Is it fixable or not fixable?
• How long have you been feeling this way? Is there a pattern?
• How committed are you to resolving this problem?

(2) What does it mean to stay?

Leaving isn't always the best option, and even if you have decided that this job isn't for you, you may not want to leave right now.

Use these questions to prompt your thinking on what it means to stay:

• What would you miss in your current role and workplace if you were to leave?
• What other opportunities might there be in the current workplace that you may not have explored?
• What feelings came up for you as you considered staying?
• What might it be like 5 years on, given you have stayed in your current role? How much does this excite you?

(3) Where would you jump to?

Although many leave their jobs because of a series of "push" factors, we need to consider "pull" factors for other jobs that you could jump to.

Consider some logical questions as follows:

• What are the "natural" transitions for you that bring together your skills and experience? For example, if you have worked in a DEI initiative in your current workplace and you are interested in the topic, are there any roles you could take up in this space?
• What is the alternative option that would be ideal for you? What other options are there?
• What might this mean to your financial situation?
• Who might your decision impact? How would you consult them, or seek their support?
• What else can you do in your job right now to help you transition?

(4) What if things don't go to your plan?

A lot of Asians I know are risk-averse, and I know how scary leaving a job could feel. It's worth thinking about alternatives in advance to avoid any shock and negative impact if things don't according to plan.

Think about:

• What alternatives have you got if your proposed route doesn't work out the way you want?
• How much of a "cushion" do you have, in terms of time and finance, could you afford to lose?
• What could you do right now to "hedge your bets"?

There are lots of questions to consider, and it may be worth sitting down to think about your decision.

The bonus question in all this is "How long are you giving yourself to make this decision?"

I have seen people who have come to the point of breakdown before deciding. Without being intentional, your "decision" is going to drag on forever. The longer this decision drags on, the more likely that this will take a toll on your mental capacity and mental health.

Spare yourself from future regret by taking intentional action now.

If you still feel stuck, I also have a free PDF workbook that might help you think through your decision to change career systematically - click here to download it:

https://www.summieyeung.com/resources

Let me know how you get on!

Best wishes,

Summie

a.k.a. The Career Transition Coach for Multicultural People

Find out more on summieyeung.com

#careerplanning #careerdesign #careertransition #careerchange #multiculturalcoach