Dear Madge,
My current job has left me exhausted and jaded. I’m thinking of resigning every single day but a friend of mine said that I’m too impatient and ungrateful, especially in this economy. When is the right time and what is the right reason to resign from our job?
Best,
Fatigue Chick
Dear Fatigue Chick,
A few wise people once told me that when you come to the intersection of your career and are rethinking your job, you just have to think ahead: Does your job support your long-term goal(s)? The goal can be financial, intellectual, creativity, and so on. Does it open the path to your dream? If so, then you may reconsider leaving your job, unless there is a better offer some place else. If it doesn’t, then you may think about leaving.
Sometimes, even if it doesn’t, you may want to ask yourself, have you gained all the skills and knowledge needed from the job? I notice especially how millennials easily jump from one job to another before they really learn the rope and hone their skills, resulting in mediocre but overconfident and entitled group of people.
I’m always on the realistic side when it comes to a job. Sure, “follow your passion” is an important credo, but it can be a tad delusional. No job is perfect, no office environment is free from judgmental/gossipy/backstabbing co-workers and egomaniac bosses, and most of us are no trust-fund babies and have dependents. So, unless the office/job goes against every fibre of your moral stance, then maybe you just have to suck it up and deal with it.
But there is no job worth jeopardizing your health. I have a friend who worked for a micromanaging, neurotic, high-profile businessman with a penchant for contacting her in ungodly hours and during holidays. Working on weekends was not unusual, so were late meetings that stretched till midnight. After more than a decade, she cracked under a lot of stress and is now suffering from an autoimmune disease that makes her dependent on medication for years to come. Moral of the story: pay attention to what your job is doing to your body and mind.
Hope it helps, Fatigue Chick. Go on a vacation for a while to clear your head, or, if you can afford it, take a sabbatical. Maybe that’s what you need after all.
~M
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