Having worked alongside thousands of women in different industries, I am aware of a very common concern: When is it time to call it quits? While there are valid reasons for leaving a company, there are a couple of evaluations I recommend before actually doing so.
Here are 2 tips toward a more fulfilling career:
Tip 1: Understand why you feel like leaving. If you dread going to sleep on Sunday because you’ll have to wake up Monday morning and head to the office, chances are you’re not passionate about the work you’re currently doing. It doesn’t mean you never were, it could very well mean that you’ve lost it along the way. No matter which way you spin it, currently the passion for this work is non-existent.
It’s possible you may have found yourself getting lost in work you feel is meaningless. Perhaps you wandered down this road because the wages were good, but now you feel stuck at a job you don’t care much about. Sadly, the world has taught us that this is the normal way to approach work; that it’s joyless, often meaningless, and something that we have to do if we want a paycheck.
The beautiful thing about living in a country like ours is that you don’t have to stay stuck! We are given opportunities here and that means we get to choose where we’d like to work! And when you find an occupation that you’re passionate about in a company that you love, it won’t feel like work each and every day! It’ll no longer be something you have to do, but something you get to do.
Of course, this career shift doesn’t mean that we’ll love every aspect of our jobs all the time, but if we’re passionate about the mission our company is on, then that will make doing the work more meaningful.
Questions to ask yourself: How does the company I work for make a difference in the world? What problem is it solving for people and am I passionate about that?
If you find that your answers to these questions are not very positive, it could be time to switch careers. However, if you find that your answers were resoundingly positive, maybe it’s time to shake things up and revive the passion you once had for this career! Which leads us to…
Tip 2: Change roles, not companies. If you found that your passion aligns with the organization you work for, it’s possible that you want to leave because you feel undervalued, unappreciated, overlooked, or not challenged enough. If this is the case, then try switching roles within your company!
We were all blessed with different skills, abilities, gifts, and talents as well as behavioral styles that dictate how we’re likely to behave in certain situations — including work. Depending on your style, you may not be in a position where you’ll thrive. If you’re interested in learning your personal behavioral style, head over to MaryGuirovich.com/DISC and take our free DISC assessment!
As women, we’ll often wait to talk with our bosses about opportunities that exist within our organization in hopes that they will notice us and tell us where our efforts could be better spent. Sadly, this often isn’t the case because of our unconscious bias toward women which means they are likely approached and encouraged less for career advancements, even if they are the perfect candidates for the job.
Since our managers can’t read our minds, it’s our “job” to tell them that we’d like to do more meaningful work and take advantage of opportunities as they arise.
A remarkable 70% of women would rather switch careers than ask for a raise or a promotion! If you’re in the boat with them, consider this fact before quitting: Every workplace will have an unconscious bias towards women. When we think of working in a “better” environment, we often imagine being appreciated more, valued more, and doing more purposeful work with better pay. While that may be true in some situations, it’s less likely because of these biases that eventually affect what women think they can achieve in their careers.
Instead of quitting, take advantage of opportunities and create a fulfilling career that you’re passionate about! This is done by having a well-constructed conversation with your boss. This means doing more than just having a talk; it means coming prepared with why you want to advance, how this is a valuable move for the company, and your ideas to push the company forward.
What our studies and systems have shown us is that a verbal discussion about ideas is substantially less accepted than when a plan is written out. For this reason, I highly recommend creating a promotion plan to gather your thoughts prior to speaking to your manager. If you don’t have one put together, you can learn all about My Promotion Plan in my free masterclass! In this hour-long class, I’ll walk you through the importance of putting your ideas on paper and how to accelerate your career advancement to get the raise you deserve — time and time again. Trust me, you won’t want to miss it!
Were these tips helpful? Leave me a comment and let’s chat!
You’re only one promotion away,
