5 Signs It’s Time to Leave a Great Job

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. — Mark Twain

A job you love is a gift. It is like being a part of a wonderful family. A family that brings out your best and nurtures your potential. But every good family has its members leave to set off and explore…

  1. Great companies often retain people long-term and if you have been at a company for a few years the logical next step may already be someone’s job. Your path to advancement may be blocked by a great colleague who has been in the job and is not leaving.
  2. The Great Recession was a time when there were fewer options in the marketplace and a job in a safe harbor with a nice culture fit the bill. Now with unemployment low it may be time to take a risk and go for a “great risk/ great reward” opportunity. Perhaps it is starting your own business or joining a fledgling start-up?
  3. You wake up realizing you love your colleagues but you are no longer 25 and don’t see yourself working in the industry in 5 years. You want a pivot to something new.
  4. Maybe you’ve always dreamed of travel and working abroad and your company doesn’t offer that flexibility?
  5. You may be working for a start-up and want to pivot to learn about a larger organization. Or you may have worked in the Fortune 1000 and want to take those skills to a start-up to try to give others the opportunities you’ve had.

The best companies (and families) will always wish you the best in new endeavors and welcome you back if you want to come home. If you’re in the process of considering a career change or are actively looking, check out our current job listings.

 

 

Note: this article originally appeared on LinkedIn here.

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Michaela Hansen

Michaela Hansen is a writer, and a recruiter with Searchlight Inc.