Knowing when to leave has always been important. Whether it’s gauging the correct moment to move on from a party, a friendship or a relationship, the repercussions of hanging around somewhere (or someone) for too long can be messy and uncomfortable. But when it comes to leaving your job, how can you know when the time is right?

If you’re on the fence about joining the great resignation, there are certain red flags you should start looking for, which can help guide your decision. In our experience, it’s time to switch things up if:

1. you’re no longer learning in your current role and haven’t been for some time
2. you don’t have a mentor or advocate who is growing you, promoting you and investing in your strengths
3. you’re not working for or with a leader who’s invested in your growth and proactively helping you find opportunities
4. you wake up each morning with the habitual thought ‘I have to go to work today’, rather than ‘I get to go to work today’
5. you can’t see a clear path ahead of you in your current organisation
6. you find yourself daydreaming about other things that you want to do

If none of the above statements apply to you, congratulations; you’re in a healthy place career-wise and it might be worth staying put (for now). But for everyone who found themselves nodding along to some (or all) of these warning signs, it’s time to ask yourself: What am I going to do about it? Here are a few suggestions:

• Start creating momentum. Do one small thing each day that will help you find (and get) your next role.
• Have a conversation with a trusted advisor or friend to test out your thinking.
• Talk to someone in a different industry who’s outside of your network; someone who will challenge your ideas about what’s possible and what might be a totally different career path.
• Get your CV ready, call a headhunter, tap into your network and find out what people are loving about their roles right now.

Believe us when we say that this is a really exciting time to be shaking things up in your career. Employers are struggling to find and hire great talent, which puts workers firmly in the driver’s seat when it comes to negotiating salary and conditions. So think long and hard about your next move: plan it out, lay the groundwork and make sure it’s a good one.

– The Coach Place Global

Image by @Austin Chan

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