When to Quit Your Job Before Finding Another

When to Quit Your Job Before Finding AnotherWhen to Quit Your Job Before Finding AnotherWhen should you departure looking for a new job? Should you quit first and job hunt second? Or is better to start looking for a job before you turn in your resignation? The saying that you shouldntquit your jobbefore you find a new one is often true, but there can be exceptions. Difficult bosses who threaten your mental or physical health, relocation for a partners job, intolerable working conditions or levels of stress, an inability to master the job, an employer who has asked you to do something unethical, or an organization that is going under are all signs its time to quit your job sooner rather than later. In other cases, you might be changing your career and need education or training to make the transition, which cant be completed while holding down your current job. Starting a Job Search Before Quitting It is often worth considering to at leaststart a job searchbefore quitting your cur rent position. Ideally, you will start your search prior to your work situation becoming so bad that you cant stay. If you can start looking before you quit, it will give you an idea of what it may require for you to land a new position. Starting a job search while you are still working has other advantages in addition to continuing to have a paycheck and benefits. If you quit, you may notbe eligible for unemployment. If youre employed, you will have less explaining to do regarding your need for a new job during job interviews. You can maintain a positive spin on your current position and focus on why the new job would be even better. Thats helpful when youre answeringinterview questions about leaving your job. Its easier to discuss why youre moving on when youre still employedthan it is to explain why you quit without having a new job lined up. If you do choose to begin your job search while youre still employed, think carefully about whether you want to make this news public at wo rk. Whether you do this depends entirely upon the type of job you hold, your seniority, and your employers needs. Most employers arent happy to realize that theyre going to have to put the time and money into a hiring search. On the plus side, if you are a valued employee or have a significant amount of seniority and/or expertise, your current employer might offer you a raise or incentive in order to entice you to stay. Alternatively, you might be able to enlist the support of a key manager with the promise of smoothing the transition for your successor. Or, they might just fire you immediately and find someone else to do your job. Thus, you will need to carefully gauge your employers potential reaction to learning of your planned departure to decide whether to maintain a covert approach to your search. That said, there is currently less of a negative association with an unemployed status. There is also far less stigma attached to job hopping (leaving a job every year or so) than t here used to be, because more industries than ever before are offering project-based or temp work to short-term hires. If you are one of those people with an extremely busy work schedule, it may be necessary to ultimately leave your job in order to invest sufficient time in your search. If you do decide to quit, be sure to have a financial plan in place to cover your projected food, housing, and other expenses, since you dont know how long it will take to find your next job. Otherwise, start yourjob search while youre still employedto ensure you wont have a eu-agrarpolitik between paychecks. Keeping It Professional Whatever you decide about the timing of starting a job search, avoid saying anything negative when you depart. Make sure that you maintain positive relationships with your bosses and co-workers, since your next employer may require references from your previous employer or may conduct abackground check. When you resign, keep it professional and dont burn any bridges w ith your current employer.