F2F Class Notes (Vicki)

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How long have you been in your job for? If you’re climbing a career ladder, how long do you intend to stay on it? It’s hard to know when to jump ship and to do something different, and it’s even more problematic deciding whether to quit if you don’t have a new job to go to.

In the past, a job for life was just that – something you did throughout your working life. Being loyal to one company came with many perks and job security. But these days, there are many more opportunities to switch your career path, so it’s normal to have many jobs listed on your CV. It’s accepted that our goals change, so quitting one job for another shows how versatile and adaptable we are.

According to insurance firm LV, a worker in the UK will change employer every five years on average. In the US, it’s even shorter, with people staying with a single employer for just over four years, according to official statistics. Victoria Bethlehem from recruitment firm Adecco told the BBC that she looks favourably on a prospective employee who has changed roles every three to five years.

While it’s good to pursue new work challenges, is quitting your job for no job at all career suicide? It’s risky, but it can give you a chance to follow your dreams. LinkedIn influencer Murugan Pandian, who’s a project efficiency expert at St Joseph’s Hospital Health Center, says: “If you are that miserable [in your job], then sometimes it helps to quit, reassess your priorities in life and then come up with a more creative job-hunting strategy.”

Of course resigning from your job is scary – there is the fear of the unknown, but for some, no job is better than a thankless one. The recent Covid pandemic has certainly made people think twice about their career priorities, and with workers being forced back to the office, some of them may be tempted to leave their job without having a new role to go to. But no job means no money, so quitting needs careful thought, although it could lead you down a whole new career path.