While many members of the workforce are able to tolerate their jobs, very few of them genuinely love what they do. Furthermore, with wages continuing to stagnate amidst rising cost of living, it’s easy to see why overall job dissatisfaction is at record highs. So, if you’re displeased with your salary, unfulfilled by your job or unhappy with any other aspect of your work experience, it’s only natural for you to consider a career change. However, before handing in your resignation, it’s imperative that you take the following factors into account.
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Use Your Insurance Coverage
If your current employer provides health insurance coverage, it may be in your best interest to use this to your fullest advantage prior to your departure. So, if you have any doctor, dentist or optometrist appointments you’ve been meaning to get out of the way, you should attend to these before losing your coverage. Even if your next job provides insurance, your coverage may not kick in for a number of months – and with healthcare costs increasingly out of control, you’d do well to use your current coverage while you still have it. Similarly, if you have any unused vacation time or sick days, take care to use them before you lose them. Furthermore, if you suffer from a disability for which your current employer and/or your next employer don’t provide coverage, take some time to look into disability insurance policies.
Consider Your Employment Prospects
Leaving a job without having another one lined up can be a risky venture. Even if you have robust savings, being without income for an extended period is liable to leave a huge hole in your finances. So, unless you’re absolutely miserable at your current place of business, it may be best to simply stick it out until you’re able to find a better job.
If a lack of education has proven to be a hindrance to your career prospects, consider returning to school. Even if your schedule is already jam-packed, chances are you’ll be able to find an online degree program that comfortably meshes with your daily routine. The right degree can boost your earning power exponentially, so if you’re interested in continuing your education, check out the convenient degree programs offered by Daniels College of Business.
Approach Counteroffers with Extreme Caution
Upon announcing your intention to leave your current job, you may be approached with a generous counteroffer. While this offer may seem enticing, you should take some time to carefully consider it before accepting. In many cases, counteroffers are made in extreme haste because the short-term impact of losing certain employees can prove incredibly costly and inconvenient for some companies. However, should you decide to accept, just remember that once the initial panic at the prospect of losing you fades, your bosses may grow resentful of your desire to seek other opportunities and come to regard you as a flight risk.
Of course, this isn’t to say that you should make a point of rejecting every conceivable counteroffer that comes your way. Rather, you should take the time to fully consider your options and think about possible long-term ramifications.
Prepare Your Work Devices for Your Departure
If you have any employer-provided computers, phones, tablets or other devices, now would be the time to start preparing them to be returned. Regardless of how long you’ve been using these devices, it’s important to understand that they don’t actually belong to you. With this in mind, set to work clearing any and all personal files off your work devices before proceeding to return them to your employer. Failure to do so could result in personal information being compromised or you being accused of misusing work-issued devices.
Although many Americans dream of leaving their jobs, doing so simply isn’t feasible for a fair number of workers. While quitting your job in a huff will probably bring you some satisfaction in the short term, the long-term consequences of such an impulsive move are liable to be felt very quickly. Of course, this isn’t to say that people shouldn’t leave jobs that make them unbearably unhappy. Rather, they should wait until they have a realistic plan in place. So, before bidding adieu to your current place of business, remember to consider the factors discussed above.
