I QUIT my academic job. Here are three signs you should too.
TLDRThe speaker shares their experience of leaving a permanent academic position despite a competitive job market. They discuss signs indicating a need for career reevaluation, such as feeling a lack of purpose in work, justifying personal unhappiness, experiencing negative spillover affecting personal life, and feeling like running someone else's race. They emphasize the importance of minimizing risk before quitting, by ensuring financial stability, identifying the true reasons for leaving, and consulting with trusted individuals in one's social circle.
Takeaways
- 🙂 Resigning from a job, especially a stable one, can be a positive, liberating decision even in a competitive job market.
- 🧐 Feeling a sense of pointlessness in your work can be a sign of burnout and misalignment between your values and your job.
- 🙏 Justifying your unhappiness by comparing your situation to those worse off can trap you in a cycle of misery.
- 😤 Experiencing negative spillover from job dissatisfaction into personal life highlights the toxic impact of being unhappy at work.
- 🚴♂️ Feeling like you're running (and winning) someone else's race can indicate that your career path doesn't align with your personal goals.
- 💰 Before quitting, it's crucial to get your finances in order, possibly having a job lined up or enough savings to sustain a period of unemployment.
- 📝 Ensure you're leaving for the right reasons by introspecting whether the issue is truly with your job or stems from other aspects of your life.
- 👥 Informing your social circle about your decision to quit can provide new perspectives and emotional support.
- 👍 Recognizing the need for change and acting on it can lead to reclaiming your happiness and fulfillment.
- 💭 It's important to have open conversations with loved ones about potential career changes, considering the financial and emotional implications.
Q & A
What prompted the speaker to resign from their academic position?
-The speaker felt a sense of pointlessness about their work, which they realized was a symptom of burnout. This, coupled with a misalignment between their values and their job, led them to the decision to resign.
How did the speaker know it was time to reevaluate their career?
-The speaker identified several signs, including feeling a lack of fulfillment from their work, justifying their unhappiness by comparing it to others' situations, experiencing negative spillover affecting their personal life, and feeling like they were running someone else's race rather than pursuing their own goals.
What does the speaker suggest as the first step in minimizing risk before quitting a job?
-The first step is to get your finances in order. This could mean having a new job lined up or ensuring you have enough savings to cover six to 12 months of living expenses.
Why is it important to ensure you're leaving your job for the right reasons?
-Leaving for the right reasons helps to manage risk by ensuring that you're moving towards a new opportunity or a better situation, rather than running away from a problem. It prevents making a potentially rash decision without a clear plan or purpose.
What is the significance of discussing your career change plans with people in your social circle?
-Sharing your plans allows you to gain different perspectives and insights. It also provides emotional support and helps to clarify any concerns or doubts you may have about your decision.
How did the speaker's unhappiness at work affect their personal life?
-The speaker's dissatisfaction with their job manifested as negative spillover, leading to increased irritability, bouts of anxiety, and complaints that affected their relationships and made them less interesting as a person.
What did the speaker realize about their career goals and lifestyle?
-The speaker realized that the academic lifestyle and the skills they were developing daily were not aligned with their life goals. They were building a life they didn't want and felt the need to pursue something else.
What advice does the speaker give to those who are unsure about whether quitting their job is the right decision?
-The speaker suggests having in-depth conversations with trusted friends, family, or partners to discuss potential concerns and outcomes. They also recommend evaluating personal goals and the alignment of current work with those aspirations.
How did the speaker's friends react when they shared their decision to leave academia?
-The speaker's friends, particularly one who said 'good for you Cheryl, I think it'll help you get your light back', provided emotional support and validation, which helped the speaker see the decision more clearly as the right one.
What is the speaker's recommendation for those considering a significant career change?
-The speaker recommends not only evaluating one's current job and its impact on their life but also considering the broader context of personal goals and aspirations. They suggest seeking advice and different perspectives from trusted individuals outside one's industry.
What was the speaker's strategy to minimize the risk of quitting their job?
-The speaker's strategy included getting their finances in order, ensuring they were leaving for the right reasons, and discussing their plans with a trusted social circle to gain insights and emotional support.
Outlines
🤔 Recognizing the Need for Career Change
The speaker shares their personal experience of resigning from a permanent academic lectureship despite a competitive job market. They highlight the fear associated with leaving a stable job, especially after significant investments like education or relocation. The speaker identifies signs that indicate a need to reevaluate one's career, such as feeling a sense of pointlessness in work, lack of alignment between personal values and job responsibilities, and experiencing burnout. They emphasize that these feelings should not be ignored and may require significant lifestyle changes, not just temporary solutions like time off.
💡 Minimizing Risk When Leaving a Job
The speaker discusses the importance of minimizing risk when considering leaving a job. They suggest three strategies: ensuring financial stability by either having a new job lined up or having enough savings to cover unemployment, identifying and addressing the true reasons for wanting to leave the current job to avoid running from problems rather than towards solutions, and consulting with trusted individuals in one's social circle for perspective and support. The speaker shares their personal journey of discussing their decision with friends and family, which helped clarify their thoughts and confirm their choice to leave academia in pursuit of a more aligned career path.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Resignation
💡Competitive Job Market
💡Sunk Cost
💡Burnout
💡Value Alignment
💡Negative Spillover
💡Risk Management
💡Financial Stability
💡Social Support
💡Personal Fulfillment
💡Career Reevaluation
Highlights
The individual resigned from their permanent academic lectureship during a competitive job market, feeling good about the decision.
Quitting a job, especially the first real job or after substantial investment, can be a scary time.
There are moments worth taking risks for, and the video shares signs to evaluate one's career plan.
Feeling a sense of pointlessness about one's work can be a sign of burnout and misalignment with one's values.
Burnout is not just about taking time off; it requires lifestyle changes.
Recognizing that even when things could be worse, they could also be better is crucial for personal happiness.
The 'comparison mantra' can lead to justifying unhappiness, which is detrimental to personal well-being.
Negative spillover or toxic impact can manifest as changes in personality, such as increased irritability and anxiety.
Complaining can become a personality trait when one is unhappy with their work, affecting personal relationships.
Feeling like running someone else's race indicates a misalignment between one's career and personal goals.
Before quitting a job, it's essential to minimize risk by ensuring financial stability and having a plan.
Having a job lined up or savings equivalent to 6 to 12 months of salary is recommended before quitting.
It's important to leave a job for the right reasons, such as pursuing a more desirable path rather than running from problems.
Discussing the decision to quit with trusted individuals outside one's industry can provide valuable insights.
Social networks can help clarify concerns and provide support when making significant life decisions.
The decision to leave a job should align with one's life goals and not be influenced by external factors.
Identifying and pursuing one's passions can lead to a more fulfilling life, even if the passion is not yet known.
The video aims to help viewers reflect on their career choices and life paths, offering support through shared experiences.
Transcripts
Browse More Related Video
How To Decide On A Career
10 Reasons Why YOU Should Become a Nurse
Find your dream job without ever looking at your resume | Laura Berman Fortgang | TEDxBocaRaton
Should you quit your job? How to get out of a bad job before it's too late.
My Chemical Engineering Story | Should You Take Up Chemical Engineering?
Living On Under $30K A Year In 3 U.S. Cities | Millennial Money Marathon
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)
Thanks for rating: