Singaporeans dish on how to know when it’s time to quit your job

SINGAPORE: After a local Reddit user who’s been wanting to resign for the past few months asked how a person knows when it’s actually time to leave a job, others on the platform quickly swooped in with their advice and experience.

Earlier this week, u/Negative-Berry-50 wrote in a post on r/askSingapore that they’ve been wanting to leave their job since February. However, since that point, two of their colleagues have already quit, even without new job offers lined up.

Therefore, with the current hiring freeze in the company, the post author wrote that they “foresee chaos during peak periods” due to the smaller team size.

“As wonderful and supportive as my remaining teammates are, I really don’t see myself staying with them this year, but I won’t be leaving without a new offer,” they added.

Commenters on the post outlined a list of “signs” that are a pretty good indicator of when it’s time to leave one’s job.

“Basically, when:

1. You feel like you’re not learning anything anymore, or this job isn’t fit for your career goals anymore
2. It’s getting more and more difficult to find a solid reason to get to work/You’re not motivated at all, and it’s been that way for 6+ months.
3. You have a burnout
4. You have a better offer somewhere else,” wrote one.

“No increment for that year,” another added.

“When the toxic culture becomes too much for you to accept, especially when colleagues start to shirk responsibility after teaching you,” a Reddit user contributed.

“When you have a manager who can’t seem to work with you no matter how much you try to accommodate their whims and fancies,” wrote another.

A commenter urged the post author to wait until they have the next job in the pipeline, writing, “When a good job offer lands… that’s when it’s time.”

However, another quipped that it’s time to quit “When you have to ask on Reddit.”

One wrote that when someone even begins to think of quitting, this is already somewhat of a sign.

“Usually, if you start thinking about quitting, it’s probably time to leave. There must be a reason why you even had this thought, so … Quitting is a skill, lah. Have to overcome all the cognitive biases and sunk cost fallacy and fear of the unknown, etc., not everyone is in a position to leave when they want to, but if you have this thought, I think it would be a good idea to start looking out,” they wrote.

“Quitting a job can feel like a big decision, and many reasons might lead you to decide it’s the right time. You might want to explore another industry or take on a new challenge, or you may feel unsatisfied with your current role. It may be time to quit your job when you’re no longer motivated to complete your daily tasks, feel overworked or burnt out, or want to move beyond your current position into a more advanced one. These are a few signs that it may be time to quit your job and get a better one that more effectively meets your needs,” reads this piece from Coursera. /TISG

Read also: 2 in 5 Singaporeans quit jobs that lack time and location flexibility