In any job, it is a given that you may be faced with situations that make you unhappy or want to simply throw in the towel. However, it is extremely important that you take some time to think carefully and decide if you are truly making the right decision of choosing to quit.
Below, we will outline 3 things to consider before quitting your job too early.
1. Risk of regret
Your frustration at the workplace can be due to a multitude of things. But a risk you may encounter is not having considered and analysed your situation carefully enough and making the wrong decision as a result and saying ‘’I quit’’
To help you figure out if your job is truly the problem, ask yourself these questions:
Once you figure out if your job is truly the reason for your unhappiness, you can start to think about solutions that can be taken to perhaps overcome them. For instance, you may speak to your manager to make a few tweaks to your work hours or job description, you may also talk to a fellow employee or colleague about solving certain issues within your team and so on.
If you have run through all of these things and are still unsatisfied with your job and feel very much unhappy then you can confidently quit knowing that you have carefully analysed and thought this decision through and have also taken steps to try to better them.
2. The risk of stalling your career
Before quitting your job, it is extremely important that you plan for what you will do next. At the end of the day you will need a steady source of income to satisfy your standard of living/ needs. However, it is important that you avoid job hopping as it may present your behavior as unstable being that you have made far too many hasty decisions too quickly. This is the prime reason as to why it is vital that you plan this next step out carefully.
Ensure that you have made thorough research into the current job market and are aware of what’s available at the moment.
In any case if possible, lining up your next job can be considered as a practical step before handing in your resignation so you have work to fall back on after leaving your current workplace.
3. The risk of burning bridges
When leaving your job, emotions may be at an all-time high and you may run the risk of burning bridges. There may be tension between you and your manager, conflict can be inevitable if you quit before thinking about the consequences.
At this stage it is key that you approach this situation in a calm and professional manner. Don’t just drop your resignation letter off at your managers table and waltz off. Stay calm and collected and do it in a professional manner by handing in your notice.
Always remember that at some point in your professional career you may require a reference from them and as such, it is key that you don’t make hasty decisions and that you leave on good terms.
What is a good job?
A good job is one that will cover the cost of your essentials whilst also adding more value in other ways. A good job not only makes you feel good about the value you bring to an organization, but it also relates to the value that your peers recognise.
A good job consists of morale, stability, motivation, and growth.
What are the main characteristics of a good job?
Recognition
Recognition involves your seniors’ being aware of your efforts and rewarding you accordingly. This could be in the form of a promotion, a bonus or an increase in salary. It also involves feedback from your colleagues, who also recognise your work.
Salary
A good job will not only cover your day-to-day expenses, but it should also leave you with disposable income for leisurely activities. Spinwell, for example, has made a pledge to always pay above the minimum wage and pay their employees the real cost of living.
Benefits
Salary aside, other benefits are always welcome. Whether this be through health insurance, payments for commuting, or even the option to work remotely,
Purpose
A good job makes you feel resourceful and gives you the sense of making a difference. This then adds to your motivation as an employee to further achieve your targets.
Job Security
Job security can help you become a more motivated employee. Knowing that you are secure in your job can help lower stress levels and increase your confidence, which in turn makes you more productive.
Growth
A good job inspires you to further advance in your career, both personally and professionally. A good job is one that challenges you and your problem-solving skills. Opportunities to further enhance your skills through training courses and workshops will help build your confidence whilst also building your CV.
How do you find a good job?
Understanding what you have to offer
Determine your skills, abilities, and what you can bring to the table. Once you are able to distinguish and assess your abilities, interests, and strengths, it can help you narrow down your search to understand the right fit for you.
List out your requirements
Determine what you want from a job. If you want to work remotely a few days of the week or require additional benefits such as commuting fees or things like health insurance, be sure to take them into consideration in your job hunt.
Changing your CV
When looking for a job, adapt your CV and tailor it to the role at hand. Always read the job descriptions and use key words and phrases from them to show that you possess the necessary requirements.
Study the company
Alongside finding a job, it is also important to make sure you do your fair share of research into the company you are thinking of working for. It is advisable to read employee reviews to find out about the work-life balance.
It can be a challenge these days to take days off/ vacation days away from work especially with technology keeping you glued to the job. However, it is also important to remember that in order to maintain a healthy work life balance, taking some time off to fulfil other commitments may prove helpful.
The tips outlined below will help you prepare for a vacation from work so you can enjoy your time off instead of thinking too much about what’s happening in the office.
Deciding when to take a vacation
Timing is everything. If you have important projects or commitments that need to be fulfilled that are of utmost priority in the workspace, it probably isn’t a good idea to plan a getaway during that time.
Taking time off when it is the busiest time of the year at the workspace can be extremely unfair to your colleagues especially if you don’t let them know well in advance as they would have to pick up your slack. This prompts a rather bad impression on you to your colleagues and managers
If your reason for a vacation is one that cannot be rescheduled and is of utmost priority (such as a graduation) and somehow happens to coincide with peak office activity – give your team notice well in advance so they can be prepared to work around it and find solutions that will help further smoothe and ease the extra work they will be taking on in your absence.
Leave things as clean and organised as possible
To ensure that when you come back to work everything is placed in an organised and concise manner and not one that would overwhelm you, it would be a good idea to run through all your emails, create rules that forward emails sent to you from your clients to your colleagues that are now covering for you.
It may also be a good idea to set automated emails to keep your clients aware that you are away at the moment and that if they wish to discuss something important they may contact your colleagues who are taking on your work at the moment, with the relevant contact details.
Handover of tasks
Another approach could be to give your manager a list of your colleagues who will be taking over your tasks and covering for you (after asking them of course if they mind taking over and covering for you in your absence) Ensure that the necessary work is handed over properly and ensure that you have updated your team of the status of the projects.
Transitioning back into work after a vacation
Your first week in, do not over crowd your schedule with too many meetings and calls. Chances are you are going to have to respond back to a significant number of calls, texts and emails and during your time off new projects may have emerged. Give yourself enough time to take on these new tasks and tackle them cohesively.
Your career and the actions you take to ensure that growth is made depends on your attitude and determination on how far you are willing to go to ensure that your professional career is developing alongside prompting opportunities to help you grow.
Whether you are currently employed or looking for a new job, below, we will discuss a few ways on getting your career development back on track:
Achievements and improvements to be made
Create a list of achievements you achieved alongside a list of things you could better work on to better your career development.
The list of achievements will be handy for when you are drafting your resume. The list of things you can do better/improve on will act as a visual aid that can be utilised to provide a reminder to you on what your action plan needs to be to prompt growth over the next year.
Focus
It is very easy to get distracted in this digital age. The key to maintaining focus is discipline and structure. When doing work that is of utmost importance, turn off notifications for less important things such as social media.
However, this is easy said than done, but making a routine out of it can make it easier for you as the days go on. It also doesn’t hurt to set boundaries. For instance, checking emails at certain times during the day.
Seek a professionals advice
In any case with regards to career development, it is always a good idea to talk to and get advice from a professional in the industry
Regardless of how much experience or qualifications you have, there is always more to learn. Learning and getting insight from a trusted industry veteran can also help you make better informed decisions about your career path.
Seeking advice from a recruitment consultant may also be a good idea. They may provide you information on how to better approach interviews, draft a good resume, fill you in on openings that have come about and so much more to get your career development moving further ahead.
Looking beyond your company
For your career development, it is always a good idea for you to network and diversify your skill set. Make it a habit to attend a networking meeting for an hour or so each month. It’ll give you better insight into what the industry is currently like and what opportunities are available for you to take on.
It will also give you information on workshops and courses that are available which could further help you redefine and sharpen your skillset which caters a significant amount to your career development.
Work Hours
Flexible working hours has been shown to comprehensively increase job satisfaction, productivity rates and lead to higher motivation. As a consequence of this, offering these flexible arrangements also reduces staff turnover and absenteeism and increases staff retention.
Flexible working hours would mean a better balance with work and home. This would increase efficiency as it prompts a positive attitude and behaviour from the employees which managers can also benefit from.
Technology
Strategies can be implemented to encourage employees to manage work-life balance with the assistance that technology prompts. One such way is by sharing a combined calendar with family and colleagues so that both parties are aware of the others schedule and availability. Through this, families would also better understand important priorities and commitments that are a matter of great importance.
Family Time
Where family commitments come to play, being a little flexible in terms of allowing them to leave the office a little early to pick up their kids from school or day care or even making them aware of childcare facilities around the area can easily prompt better balance in the work place.
Remote working has indeed become the new norm. Not only does it prompt major benefits to your work-life balance, it also prompts opportunities to enjoy it.
There’s savings being made in terms of transportation costs, flexible scheduling meaning you can work around family commitments and other personal needs whilst also refraining from office politics that may arise.
However, the downside to this is your efforts made to the company you are working for may not always be seen or visible. This means you need to take necessary steps to ensure that your growth and career development is taken care of.
Below, we will discuss a few ways on making the most out of working remotely:
1. Digital Presence
Since most of the work is done behind a screen and you are rarely meeting your employees/colleagues physically, instead of just a regular call, it would be advisable for you to arrange video calls periodically to stay in touch.
This will act as a slight reminder of you as part of the team and you will also have the ability to pick up on physical cues from colleagues that may not necessarily be picked up on through other forms of communication.
2. Physical Presence
It would be a good idea to come into the office physically periodically and have small catch ups with your co-workers.
For meetings, for instance, to have a rather free flowing conversation with your team, it would make such a difference to occasionally be able to speak face to face about shared goals within the team whilst also having an opportunity to highlight your successes.
3. Updating your team
In many cases, what can be frustrating for co-workers is uncertainty- not knowing what your schedule is like or when you will be coming into work and more. And so, communication plays a great role here.
Ensure that you are keeping in touch with them and fill them in on reminders about when you will be physically coming into work and provide gentle reminders on your availability at the beginning of each week. You can also ensure that your voicemails and email signature lets callers know when you will be working remotely.
4. Participation
Take on every opportunity you possibly can. The biggest disadvantage that remote working prompts is often being overlooked for promotions or new projects or even certain roles.
Don’t be shy to raise your hand to be considered to take on special projects or initiatives. Make use out of the opportunity to communicate with the senior management and other colleagues so they have your name in mind if required for new opportunities that may turn up.
Preparing yourself for an interview involves being ready to answer questions relating to your skills and job experience alongside qualifications you may have. However, to add to that, what is also important is to be prepped for behavioural interview questions.
These questions are aimed at analysing what you have done or would do in certain situations or scenarios, this gives the hiring manager an insight to your attributes, experience and capabilities.
Examples of behavioural interview questions:
Behavioural interview questions sound a little something like this:
Some behavioural questions may require you to put yourself in hypothetical scenarios and utilise your imagination to come up with an answer. In cases like these, you need to be able to think on your feet. But what can make answering such questions easier? Let’s take a look below:
Developing your stories
In the past, you may have experienced similar situations to the hypothetical question being asked by the interviewer. As such, what you can do is utilise what you’ve learnt through these experiences and compose a short story in under a minute on how you have tackled similar issues at your previous workplace (ensuring that the issue is relevant to the question being asked)
Sample behavioural interview questions:
Communication
Achievements
Leadership
Analysis
Teamwork
Cracking a joke or two at work can create a rather comfortable, (in often cases) fun and a rather calming environment, however, bear in mind not to get too carried away!
A good sense of humour can pose numerous benefits as listed below:
Increased team spirit/morale and ease tension and stress levels
Humour can help bring people together to work on tasks and solve problems comfortably. In fact, it is a great tool when it comes to lightning the mood amidst tense situations whilst boosting morale.
Organizational culture
At a corporate setting, employees often want to put their best foot forward when taking on their responsibilities and in doing so have their game faces on and take themselves a bit too seriously.
A sense of humour in such instances can assist in a refreshing change of pace and showcase your personality a little outside of work. This in turn can help forge a bond and create a more jovial atmosphere.
Productivity and creativity
Humour is a great tool when it comes to encouraging interaction and brainstorming of new strategies, ideas, game plans and so on. Not only will it boost productivity, but also influence your work ethic in a rather positive manner as you will tend to enjoy your work more.
From a managerial perspective, employees would see you as more approachable. They would feel all the more comfortable to approach you with innovative new ideas that they may have.
Having said that, it is extremely important that you are mindful of the kind of jokes you are making. Ensure that the jokes you make are not racist, ageist, sexist, does not offend anyone’s culture, traditions or norms and that no form of discrimination is prompted.
1. Look into industries that remain the least affected by a recession
Industries such as education, IT, legal, and healthcare remain the least affected due to the products and services they provide.
It would be quite beneficial to look into these industries for work and see what particular jobs are in high demand. To add to that, you may even add transferable skills to your CV that make you a far more flexible candidate in the job market.
2. Freelancing
Freelancing is a great way to enhance your experience and boost job prospects. Alongside that, it is a unique way in which the range of your skills increase.
3. Networking
It is always best to network. Communicate with people within your industry through professional social media networks like LinkedIn—especially those that are like-minded and share the same interests as you. Expand your network to see if there may be any vacancies that may not be advertised.
4. Relocation
Relocating could be an option to consider depending on the vacancies available in your area. The job you’re looking for may be difficult to find within your geographical reach. For instance, if you want to do something IT-related, it would make sense to be closer to somewhere in the city than in rural areas.
5. Remote working
Since the pandemic, there has been a major increase in the number of remote job roles available. Companies are able to save on office bills, and you will be able to save on travel expenses. Thanks to the nature of the working model, you will be able to work from anywhere, opening job opportunities that may not have been an option previously.
6. Writing a strong cover letter and CV
It is important that you craft your CV and cover letter according to the job description at hand. Ensure that you pick out key words and phrases from the job description and incorporate them into your CV so the hiring manager sees you as the candidate that they are looking for.
Demonstrate and articulate all your skills and achievements, and what makes you a unique candidate. Draw on examples of your past experiences and how you applied your skills to a task.
7. Consider looking for Temporary work
Although you may be looking for a full-time job, remember that temporary work can assist in bridging the gap amidst your job search. During a period of recession, many companies consider hiring employees as contractors before making the decision to offer full-time employment.
It may also be beneficial to contact recruiters for assistance in your job search. Recruiters like Spinwell will usually be notified of roles that may not be advertised.
The length of work in a temporary role will depend on the company as well as what kind of work they need you to do. So, remember that your exceptional performance at your temporary job can help you expand your professional development, which in turn may even help in your search for full-time work.
In many cases it is a bit of a task maintaining relationships with colleagues who may also be your friend outside of work. In such situations to ensure that workplace politics and backstabbing don’t take over, the Helpfulness, Appropriateness and Tact (HAT) principal may come in handy.
Helpfulness
Friendships are often tested when jealousy takes root. One such factor that influences these things at the workplace could be a difference in job titles/hierarchy in the workplace. Where this comes into play, it is often good to remember that kindness and selfless gestures can go a long way.
If you happen to come up with ideas of ways in which workplace morale or team spirit can be boosted, start off by making these small suggestions and take look at how a positive environment can permeate throughout the office.
Appropriateness
Setting boundaries at work is extremely important. Part of team building involves light hearted, personal conversations that may take place at work which is completely okay especially if you wish to climb up the ladder whilst maintaining positive relationships with your colleagues.
However, it is also important that boundaries are set so that when important conversations take place, you are taken seriously. To ensure this, clear communication is essential.
Tact
Friendships in a workplace can often be tricky especially if you are dealing with situations that may require you to provide performance reviews of your fellow colleagues or work together on a project. Therefore, it is always important to keep an unbiased and neutral train of thought while being mindful of your choice of words or when making necessary decisions or suggestions.
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