8 Tips to Freelancer “It's Time to Leave Your Job”

Deciding whether to stick it out or leave your job and explore new opportunities can be one of the most stressful decisions you ever make. How many reasons do you need to take the leap and pursue something different? Well, we've rounded up eight scenarios to help you make this difficult life decision a little easier.

1. Your relationship with your boss changed. For years you've had a fabulous working and personal relationship with your boss, but you begin to sense a shift in the organization's culture and your boss's leadership. You are being asked to take on more responsibility and do more with fewer resources. The relationship is deteriorating, and you feel like you are losing your support system within the organization.

2. Work and life values are no longer being met. When you were hired, you knew the organization and role were a good fit that met your work and life values. However, with the changes in the organization you've noticed you are no longer feeling satisfied with your work. Or maybe the culture shifted, and you are not able to perform at your fullest potential. Ask yourself: If you interviewed at the company today, would you want to work there?

3. You are left out of decision-making meetings. A business decision was made without your input and you don’t agree with the direction. You’re losing influence with upper management and are no longer “in the know.” Your subordinates begin to ask others for input and decisions, which further diminishes your authority.

4. You are not being asked to take on high-visibility assignments. What about me? You begin to notice that your subordinates are now in the spotlight and asked to lead a major project working directly with your manager. Your high-performing team is being broken apart and moved onto other teams to maximize their strengths. Not only are you not being put on highly visible assignments — your team is being broken apart.

5. You are frustrated with the direction of the company and are more vocal than usual. The company is changing its focus, and you do not support the decision. You are becoming more vocal about your disagreement. You are feeling frustrated; your input is not being heard because management is hearing undertones of dissent in your voice, as opposed to the content of what you are saying.

6. You find yourself awake at night with an anxious feeling, replaying conversations. The pressures of work assignments, tight deadlines or disagreements with your manager resulted in not getting a solid night’s sleep. The anxiety over work is increased, and the lack of sleep has prevents you from performing at your best.

7. You are managing the political arena more than performing your job.There are rumors the company may be bought and “every person for himself” seems to be the mode of operation, which doesn't allow time to do the work. At the end of the week, you have spent more time managing the politics than accomplishing something on your to-do list.

8. You are no longer passionate about your work and dread going to the office each day. Do you wake up in the morning energized and look forward to your day, or do you dread it? If getting out of bed each morning is becoming a challenge, then you need to listen to your instincts and ask yourself, “Why?” We spend a majority our lives working, so don’t ignore the signs that are telling you, “It's time to move on." You will find another job in which you look forward to going to work each day.

Accepting that it might be time to leave is the first step toward finding a job that is in alignment with your values, skills and interests. Finding the courage to leave is the next step, but before you do, make sure you plan an effective exit strategy.