How to Know When It’s Time to Leave a Job (Warning Signs)
Are you reading this, wondering if it’s the right time to walk away from your job? The fact that you’re even thinking about it might be an indicator that you’re ready to move on. When what’s most important to you has changed, it might be time to look toward a career shift and a better fit.
Is it general workplace stress? A loss of passion for your role? Losing sight of your career goals? Many of us hit a point in our professional lives where we start dreaming of new opportunities, better jobs, or starting our own business. If you’re at that crossroads, you’re not alone — and you’re definitely not crazy.
Deciding to leave your current job is a big decision, and it’s not one you should take lightly. At the same time, you shouldn’t endlessly delay it due to fear, inertia, or politeness.
Before you start daydreaming of potential future employers, give careful consideration to all of the following factors.
Assess What’s Most Important in Your Life Right Now
People change. Our values and desires shift. What mattered to you a few years ago might not matter as much anymore, and that’s normal. The right fit for you today isn’t necessarily what seemed like your dream job before.
Maybe money used to be your top priority, but now it’s schedule flexibility or free time. Perhaps you once thrived in a high-pressure environment with intense, crazy-smart colleagues, but now you crave a sense of calm and a better work-life balance. Or you may have previously valued working from home, whereas you now crave in-person collaboration.
Long story short? Your personal life evolves, and your current role should align with that. Whether this is your first time considering new employment or you’ve been around this block a few times before, the core question becomes: What combination of circumstances gives you the highest probability of achieving the life you want right now? If leaving your current position is a high priority in the answer to that question, it might be the right time to start building an exit plan.
Have You Outgrown Your Current Employer?
Sometimes, job satisfaction simply fades away. You’ve learned what you came to learn, contributed what you had to offer, and now you feel stagnant. There’s no clear career progression — you want growth opportunities, but none seem to exist for you in your current company.
This is a good reason to consider making a career change. Whether you transition to a new role in a different department or seek new challenges at a new company, don’t let stagnancy keep you stuck in a rut.
Just because you’re good at your job doesn’t mean you have to stick with it for the long run. Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your professional development (and mental health) is to walk away.
The Trifecta: Poor Mental Health, Bad Work-Life Balance, and a Toxic Work Environment
These three elements often have overlapping causes and effects. If your mental well-being is suffering, your work-life balance doesn’t exist, and you’re stuck in a toxic workplace, consider these to be big red flags, waving frantically in front of your face.
Do you…
Get a bad case of the Sunday scaries every weekend?
Experience a frequent lack of sleep or chronic fatigue?
Feel anxious or depressed at work?
Constantly fantasize about quitting?
No longer care about important deadlines, meetings, promotions, or even optics?
Consider this to be your warning sign. If you answered “yes” to these questions, maybe it’s not “just a few bad days” — maybe you’ve already checked out.
Sometimes the job didn’t change — you did. You used to want to climb the ladder and impress the board. Now that you’ve done that, you want to give back and make a difference.
In some cases, it’s about much more than stress or general dissatisfaction. If you’re experiencing discrimination, bullying, or sexual harassment, you have an entirely valid reason to leave immediately. Protecting your emotional well-being (and possibly your physical health, too) is always the right thing to do.
What If the Math Doesn’t Add Up?
Sometimes you’re in a situation where the job is tolerable to fine - and you don’t just want to quit tomorrow. Maybe you have health insurance needs, kids in school, or a pension that vests in a couple of years. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’re stuck — it means you have a runway to build a smart exit plan.
That said, watch out for internal delay tactics like…
“Let’s just see what happens by the end of the year…”
“After I get my bonus…”
“Once the kids are older…”
Thoughts like these have led a lot of people to spend too much time in jobs that slowly drained their spirit. Months pass, then years. I’ve seen plenty of polite, prudent waiting periods turn into decades of complacency and misery.
Start by tackling tasks like these to get the ball rolling:
Update your LinkedIn profile
Pursue new skills or certifications
Focus on new projects that interest you
Take more PTO
Quietly research the job market
Start having informational networking conversations
Even these relatively small steps can help you avoid feeling trapped. When you know you’re working toward a better career (and, maybe, a better life), you can start to feel hope and momentum build.
Do a good job in your current role - put in an honest day’s work. But life is short, build up some options.
Taking Even Small Actions Can Change Everything
Even if you’re feeling trapped, you don’t have to quit cold turkey. Start by talking to trusted friends, mentors, or former colleagues. Mention your career interests in casual conversation to get a sense of the job market and the opportunities available to you.
You don’t need to say, “I’m looking for a new job.” Just putting your curiosity out into the universe can unlock new opportunities in a fresh career path. Taking action and feeling like you have options can help tremendously with that “trapped” feeling.
My best advice? Don’t underestimate your network. Many people find new positions through seemingly unlikely connections — former classmates, a friend’s spouse, someone you met at a conference five years ago, your sister’s dog-sitter’s buddy from CrossFit, etc.
Social media can be a big help here, too. A simple post about your career interests can lead to DMs, introductions, and even a surprise job offer. In short, you never know who will open a door for you — make sure you’re ready to walk through it when this happens!
Common Excuses That Keep You Stuck
In the business coaching world, we hear things like this all the time:
“What if my next job is even worse?”
“Finding a new job is hard work — is it even worth my time and energy?”
“What if it’s just me?”
“I don’t want to rock the boat.”
Fear and apprehension are totally normal, but so is self-doubt. Don’t let the fear of the unknown keep you in a toxic environment or prevent you from looking for a new opportunity. Instead of asking, “What if it’s not better?” try asking, “What if it’s just what I needed?”
Maybe you’re in what was once a comfortable job, but that comfort has since transformed into complacency. Or, you’re hesitant to take the leap because you’re grateful to your current workplace for giving you a shot in the first place. Let me be clear: Gratitude is not a worthy reason to stay somewhere that’s no longer a good fit for you.
That said, no matter what the reason for leaving your current employer, I’ve seen plenty of people return to their old positions after some time away to reset. Let this be a reminder to never burn any bridges.
There Might Still Be Good Things in Your Current Role
To be fair, people can sometimes forget the upsides of their present position, especially when they hone in on the negative aspects. Your job satisfaction may not be at an all-time high, but it’s worth taking a good look at why you took this job in the first place (and stayed in it until now).
For instance, you might have deep familiarity with systems, products, and clients. Even if you’re feeling burned out, you could have a strong internal network with plenty of autonomy and trust. Perhaps you have good pay, strong health insurance, and schedule flexibility.
Make sure you aren’t conflating normal work-related stress with hitting the eject button prematurely. It’s worth remembering what you’d miss, so you can weigh your decision carefully and not rush to greener pastures just because you had a bad day. A good career coach can help you find clarity and spot the telltale signs of a truly misaligned career.
If You Decide to Leave, Do It With Grace
When the last day of your great resignation arrives, make sure to leave on good terms. Before you walk out the door for the last time, remember not to burn any bridges! Don’t be Angela Bassett lighting the car on fire in “Waiting to Exhale” — it’s a great movie scene, but very bad career advice. Here are a few things to consider when it’s time to depart from your current role:
Write a thoughtful resignation letter.
Thank your manager and team members.
Offer to provide support throughout the transition.
Speak candidly but graciously in your exit interview.
Burning it all down on your way out might sound like a good idea in the moment, but it’s rarely helpful in the long run. The best way to leave is on good terms, with integrity and a sense of closure. This job may have been a meaningful part of your life for a long time before things turned south — think back on the good times before making a big deal of your exit.
You never know — your current company might become a trusted ally, a great reference, or even a place you someday return in a new role.
If You’re Still Unsure…
…ask yourself a few more important questions:
Are you doing good work that makes you proud of your career?
Is this version of your life one you’d like to continue and expand upon?
If you stay in your current job for five more years, would you regret it?
If you answer “no” or even “I’m not sure,” it might be time to consider your next move.
When it comes down to brass tacks, the excuses I hear over and over again have to do with some variant of “I have bills to pay!” and “I need to take care of my family!” Don’t get me wrong — these are both entirely legit and understandable reasons to stick with a job for a little bit longer, even if your Monday mornings fill you with a deep sense of dread.
That said, I’ve seen far too many talented, smart people stay in a job they absolutely abhor under the guise of “taking care of my family.” They bring home so much stress and negativity that their family members feel anything but taken care of. Or, maybe they’re working so much they don’t actually see their children at all!
In many more cases than you might think, what’s better for your family is to have you happy, healthy, and productive in your new work life.
So, Is It Time to Leave Your Job or Not?
Remember that no one is asking you to make this difficult decision overnight. But staying stuck out of a fear of the unknown is its own kind of choice, and it’s one that rarely leads to your best work. If the company culture at your current job is the last thing you need to be happy, it might be time to start thinking about your exit.
You aren’t trapped, and you do have agency. You have options. You’re allowed to want more, and you’re allowed to go find it. And, if you’re wondering whether you should finally have that tough conversation, rewrite your resume, or reach out to a reputable career coach, that too might be a good sign of things to come.
Life’s too short to spin your wheels indefinitely in a bad job. Your professional life can, and should, be full of purpose and even joy. Let this be your next step toward a better opportunity that fits the person you’ve become and the person you’re growing into.
How a Professional Business Coach Can Help
Do you need help making your move, or deciding whether there’s a move to be made? Let’s chat. At Next Level Coaching, I help professionals like you navigate tricky career transitions with clarity and confidence.
Whether you’re dreaming of a new challenge, trying to get out of a toxic workplace, or working toward opening your own business, I’m here to help you make that next step. Schedule an introductory call with me at your convenience to see if my coaching program is a good fit for you. If it’s not, I can at least point you in the right direction. Ready when you are!
About The Author
Emily Sander is a C-suite executive turned leadership coach. Her corporate career spanned Fortune 500 companies and scrappy start-ups. She is an ICF-certified leadership coach and the author of two books, An Insider’s Perspective on the Chief of Staff and Hacking Executive Leadership.
Emily works with early to senior executives to step into effective leadership with one-on-one coaching. Go here to read her story from seasoned executive to knowledgeable coach.