7 Lessons I Learned from Quitting My Job 5 Times
My career path resembles a roller coaster; it was full of ups and downs and often I thought I would never overcome a regular barrier. Changing a job is one of the most stressful decisions in life. You have to leave your usual working environment, office culture with its unique cute rituals and habits and your habitual responsibilities. But sometimes people find themselves in a situation when they have to quit their current job and look for something different. When I changed my fifth job I felt like I would never find my place in this world. But quitting my job five times has given me a priceless experience and taught me several useful things.
1. Every experience is invaluable
I thought that a job was once-in-a-lifetime thing, therefore I felt very depressed and embarrassed when I quitted my job for the first time. Every time I regretted wasted efforts. But in reality, every job has influenced and shaped me positively both professionally and personally. I’ve learned to cooperate with different people and I’ve understood that a great teamwork is a cornerstone of a company’s success. Now I understand that every new job was an essential stage in my career path. When you change so many environments you can see perfectly well what you expect from your job and life.
2. 5 unsuccessful attempts don’t mean the 6th will also be a failure
There were times when I thought I would never understand what I wanted to do and find an appropriate job. An overreaction is a natural respond to the stressful situation. It’s very easy to lose faith and give up when you face so many failures. But I don’t consider my previous experiences as a total failure. Whenever you see something good in the situation, it’s already beneficial. Just because I’m looking for something apt longer than others doesn’t mean I won’t find it. It’s important to be an optimist and believe that every new attempt will be more successful.
3. You’ll always have to sacrifice something
Sure, every job had a lot of positive sides. I can’t say that I was totally dissatisfied with my work. But it’s much more important to see the whole picture rather than being concentrated on unimportant details. If you want a high-paid job, be ready to work more and take more responsibilities. On the contrary, if you strive for more free time, you will have to make some material sacrifices. You can get a worse job but with a friendly and solid team. The truth is that you’ll hardly be satisfied with everything you do. You should learn to see the core and ignore trifles.
4. Fear can be a great booster
People are literally terrified to leave their jobs and start something new. However, fear can definitely be something of advantage if you use it wisely. A slight fear always helped me to accept challenges and tackle difficult tasks. Fear is a good motivation booster and it’s like a kick. Fear is necessary if you want to perform your responsibilities well and discover your new limits. But when fear is replaced by apathy and indifference I know it’s time to consider changing a job. A healthy fear galvanizes you into action.
Read also – 5 Most Effective Ways to Look for a Job
5. Working environment plays a critical role
If you love your job and if you’re a first rate professional you have better chances to succeed. However, when it comes to working environment your enthusiasm and professionalism may be washed away. Routine appeared to be much more important than I thought. Commute, relationship with colleagues, workload, schedule and many other important constituents really define whether you’re satisfied with your job or not. In fact, constant tiredness matters much more than what you’re actually doing. Thus it’s important to find balance between working conditions and your responsibilities.
6. You’ll regret unaccomplished things
I cannot imagine a different scenario of my life and I don’t regret anything. But think about those moments when your fears, doubts and prejudices have prevented you from changing your job. Your life might have looked differently if you had rejected that promotion or taken another turn. If this thought appeared in your mind at least once it will hardly leave you alone ever. Your regrets eat up your energy and wellness. Unless you carry out your plans you won’t free yourself from the burden of regrets.
7. Talent and persistence are equally important
For a long time I thought that I could be successful only if I had talent and skills. It made me change a lot of jobs in order to find an ideal place. However, the truth is that talent and skills are useless without hard work and resolution. A committed employee is always more successful than a skillful one. If your endowments aren’t reinforced by hard work, you’ll be an ordinary worker. On the contrary, hard work will never make you an enthusiast. It’s important to love what you’re doing and always make efforts to do your job better.
Quitting a job isn’t difficult when you ask yourself a question ‘Is it for me?’ If your answer is ‘no’ you should pull yourself together and make the plunge. It may take you some time to find you career path, but whenever you make your mind to look for something better you’ll choose the right way. Have you ever quit your job a few times?
