A career change, however big or small, is always a milestone, writes Mary-Jane Wiltsher. Whether you want to build your own business, ditch the 9-5 for flexi-working, or establish yourself in another industry, quitting your job has the potential to bring on an exciting new chapter...
But how do we know when leaving a role is a sensible move and not a knee-jerk reaction? Here, recruiters and HR experts reveal the tell-tale signs that you should consider handing in our notice – and how to prepare – while women who took the plunge and embarked on new careers share their experiences.
Nine red flags to watch out for, according to the experts:
1. You’re consistently unmotivated
We all have our off days, but if you regularly feel disengaged from work over a prolonged period of time, it’s worth interrogating that feeling. “If you frequently wake up in the morning feeling unmotivated and uninspired, or you feel there is no room for development in the business, it might be time to consider a career change,” says Zoe Sinclair, founder of Employees Matter. Something as simple as making a list of your grievances and considering whether they’re specific to your individual role or the wider company culture should help you clarify whether it’s worth seeking out fresh opportunities in-house before researching avenues elsewhere.
2. The Sunday night blues are crippling
If end-of-weekend blues are tying your stomach in knots, it’s worth asking yourself why. “When your goals aren’t aligned with where you work, you may feel that your whole life is consumed with a dread of work,” says Zoe. “If there’s this kind of spill-over of emotion into the rest of your life, it might be time to start looking at other options. However, unless in extreme circumstances, I wouldn’t recommend handing in your resignation without having another job lined up.”
Kat Reid, co-founder of HR and Wellbeing Consultancy Throman Reid advises asking yourself: what's making me feel this way? “If you can identify your ‘why’ and it's a short-term stress, there's probably a way to rectify the situation with your line manager,” she says. “If you can't answer ‘why’ you want to leave, could it be a passing fancy or knee-jerk reaction? How does changing your job remove the feeling on a long-term basis, and how likely are you to experience it again?”
3. You're experiencing burnout
Feeling frazzled? Your first point of call, of course, is to take some quality time off. But, as Shelby Throman, one half of Throman Reid, says: “If, on your return to work, you once again find yourself drained of all your mental resilience, it’s time to leave. Burnout can go from a creeping thing to an ingrained habit where it changes your mindset. The best way to beat burnout is to remove the stress. If a short-term removal and readjustment period hasn't fixed the issue then it's not you and your boundaries – it's the job, and it's not the right one for you.”
4. There’s no progression in sight
Perhaps you’ve simply reached the ceiling of progression in your current company and are seeking pastures new. Or maybe you've been overlooked for promotional opportunities on more than one occasion, with no support for your development. Kat says: “A great people management strategy should always focus on making you the best person for the role you can be. If the "higher ups" keep on passing you over but don't make any effort to lift you up, they're statistically unlikely to ever give you that opportunity. You deserve more than this, and you can find an employer who will give you that.”
5. Staff turnover at your place of work is high
Does your place of work have an ever-rotating roster of staff? “If your company has a revolving door of people coming in and out, or bad Glassdoor reviews, it’s a bad sign,” says Shelby. “Ultimately, a high attrition is the sign of a toxic culture, poor management, bad processes and a company that lacks a sense of direction in how to run itself, and with very little inclination to change.”
6. Your side hustle is steadily becoming your priority
Portfolio careers are increasingly common and often a side hustle is where true passions lie. If you’re considering turning your side gig into a career, one option is to explore flexi-working first, to help build your business. That was the approach taken by Lauren Rozwadowski, who spent seven years working in broadcast royalties for a major record label before leaving to build her life coaching service Courage Core. “I started off working at the label full-time, managing a small team,” she says. “As my 'side hustle' grew and took up more time, I was very fortunate that the company allowed me flexible working. Over the years, I incrementally moved from 5 to 2 days a week. This was an incredible opportunity to do work I loved at the label and have a steady income, while building my own creative business on the side.”
7. The work-life you seek isn’t feasible in your current job
Want total control of your schedule? Seeking geographical flexibility? There are benefits that some career avenues are simply unable to offer. Work out what your deal breakers are and devise a clear exit strategy before making any decisions. Lauren says: “When I started coaching, I loved the work so much, and I knew that I could scale the business to give me the geographical freedom and flexibility that I value in a role. I like each day to look a little different and I love the community of female entrepreneurs it’s brought me. If you’re leaving a job to start or grow a business, you'll need to have a clear exit and financial strategy in place and know exactly what that means in terms of clients, marketing time, and costs.”
8. You can’t envision a future in your place of work
Tanya Myers-Shah was a manager in risk management at Deloitte before leaving the world of financial services behind to embark on a new career at natural beauty brand Urban Veda, where she’s now Brand Manager. “For me, the tell-tale sign that it was time for a career change was recognising, quite suddenly, that I didn’t see myself working for this one company for the rest of my life,” she says. “After five exciting years of progressing through the ranks to manager, I had the itch to challenge myself and do something completely different.” If, like Tanya, you want to change industries but find the prospect overwhelming, read on for the factors that she considered in the process.
9. You want to work in a new industry
“After I recognised that I wanted to make a career change, I needed to figure out what I wanted to do,” says Tanya. “A friend recommended using a Venn diagram approach derived from the Japanese philosophy ikigai. It included questions like: what am I good at? What do I enjoy? And, what’s out there in the market? Once I plotted everything out, the opportunities for what I could do next became much clearer.”
Take time to list the changes your new job will entail, from your pay to lifestyle factors like commuting. Are they feasible? Tanya says: “I knew finding a job in a very different industry wouldn’t be easy. I considered that I’d have to prove my skill set was applicable (from risk management to skincare!), that there was potential for a pay cut (from big corporate to small start-up), and that I might not be working in vibrant central London. Fast forward to today and I’m working in an industry that I find exciting and enjoy personally, which makes the working week a lot of fun.”
Preparing to hand in your notice? Here are six tips from our interviewees:
1. Don’t rush any decision
Zoe says: “Setting a time frame can be helpful – but it’s not good to make a hasty decision. Take the time to talk to family and friends, who can be your sounding board. Alternatively, you might want to consider a couple of sessions with a coach. Do not underestimate the power of talking.”
2. Get your finances in order
Lauren says: “A key factor for me when handing in my resignation, and for anyone leaving a 9-5 I believe, was finances. I made it a priority to know my numbers before I left. I knew exactly what I needed to make each month in order to match my outgoings and lifestyle, and what that means in terms of clients per month.” Throman Reid’s founders concur and advise clients not to hand in their notice unless they have an alternate offer or a “comfortable 3-month financial cushion”.
3. Invest in yourself and your future
Lauren says: “Use the luxury of your consistent 9-5 income to invest in yourself and your future business before leaving. This will put you in a great position when you leave. Investing in a coach or mentor who knows what you're trying to achieve can save time and energy. If you're building your own business – or want to – find out if you can reduce your hours in your main job first. This way you can 'baby step' your way out, freeing up time to grow the business first.
4. Structure your job hunt
Kat says: “When it comes to job applications, understand which platforms are going to be useful for you. Look into your annual leave or shift patterns and be ready to articulate your availability for interviews. Do your homework, not only in terms of what you want to do, but who you want to work with and why. It's tempting to just slam applications out on job boards, but have a plan as to how you're going to get there.”
5. Devise an interview strategy
Shelby says: “Have an agenda when meeting future employers. Ask specific questions about the company culture, the projects, the team, and the person you’ll be reporting in to. You need to think about what makes you happy, so that you avoid perpetuating a cycle of unhappiness at work.”
6. Plan, prepare and build your network
Tanya says: “Don’t leave your job without having done the planning and preparation for what to move on to next – I recommend using the ikigai method to plot out your options! If it’s a completely different industry you want to move into, find people on LinkedIn who are in similar roles, reach out and ask them about what the job actually entails. Build your network out from there – it could lead you to your next role!”