When should you quit your job?

On a November morning last year, Mamunur Rahman emailed his resignation letter to his boss. 

The letter read, "I am resigning for the following reasons: One, I felt that the company did not value my contribution. Two, I am deprived of my right to know relevant information (about my promotion and queries) at the right time that caused me mental discomfort." 

Bangladesh's job market has been volatile since coronavirus hit the country in March last year. So, Mamun's resignation surprised his friends. But he remained calm and began to write, a practice he loved all his life. 

Within six months, life turned around. Mamun is now one of the top writers on Medium. His stories are making him far more money than what a nine to five job ever could. He now has complete control over his life, something he always desired.

Do you want to be like Mamun? 

In this world full of motivational gurus teaching people to follow their hearts, instances of people quitting their jobs to do what they love are abundant. Also abundant are the instances when following their heart got them in big trouble. 

So, you really hate your job. We are assuming that the reason you hate your job is not because you are too lazy to work; you have legit reasons.  

Should Mamun's tale of success after quitting his job inspire you? Should you just drop your resignation letter to 'do what you love'? Do you really know what you love and what you are capable of? Do you really understand your heart? 

Think wisely before you take a leap of faith. 

But today, let us help you understand the circumstances when you can think of quitting your job.  

We asked a few dozen professionals from various backgrounds (from university teachers, journalists, government officials to entry-level executives) if they had ever quit a job. If so, why they quit, and whether they now regret or appreciate the decision. 

We have compiled the top seven reasons that at least one respondent mentioned as to why they resigned and are happy about it.

When there is no work-life balance 

When your office responsibilities eat up the majority of your time, when you do not have a 'life' except work, you do not have holidays to relax, you do not have a moment to spare for yourself and your family, you need to rethink your career. 

When office hours continue to claim the lion's share of your day, rethink, and if necessary, quit. 

When your team members are very inefficient

Do you have an inefficient team? If the team members show no promise to develop their skills, competence, and efficiency, they may potentially drown themselves and take you down with them. Talk to your authority about this and if they do not care, save yourself from this drowning ship.  

When you are grossly under-compensated

Why do we work? To earn money is the common and realistic answer. There are times when you actually love what you do but doing what you love is not charity. 

When your office leaves you grossly under-compensated, and continues to show you excuses for not raising your salary, follow Mamun. But before quitting, look for better offers, better salary and opportunities.

When your skills are shelved and you buy groceries for your boss 

What on earth did you sign up for? To buy groceries for your boss? Suppose you are a client service executive and your manager keeps you engaged in silly stuff you did not sign up for; take a stand for yourself. 

Buying groceries for your manager will save your job for now, but it will deprive you of sharpening your skills in the long run and you will never make significant progress in your career. So, save yourself, run away. 

When the boss is too much into office politics

More politicians in your office than the national parliament? You are not alone. This is a global problem. 

But know the limits. Office politics often drives people crazy, dangerously impacting the career graph of qualified employees. 

In such situations, do yourself a favour by changing your job. And if your boss is a fervent adherent of dirty office politics, flee as quickly as you can from that place. 

When you cannot compromise with the drastic changes in company policy 

Follow Rafiqul Rana if you signed up to sell your brain but your company suddenly decides you will be selling potatoes instead.

He said, "I quit my last job because of the drastic changes in company policy. They made working in the night shift mandatory. That day, I came back home and never returned. I started my own business and am very happy with it." 

When the office will not thank you 

You have been working 'like a donkey' and yet no appreciation from the authority? Learn from communication professional Salekin Himel. 

Himel left his first job and he is more than happy about it because "there was a lack of appreciation, a strange feeling of suffocation, continuous pressure of losing the job despite performing well and unduly bossing by the top executives. After finding a company that has a good HR policy and environment, I am more than happy about my decision. Here I feel very enlightened, empowered, and valued by my supervisor." 

When the office is not gender-sensitive 

Do not work for an office that is not gender-sensitive. It does not need explanations because it is the right thing to do. 

However, now that you have resigned, what are you going to do? Do not let yourself answer this question. 

Never, ever quit your job on the spur of the moment like an emotional fool and without proper planning. Before you quit, make sure you have a better place to go or something better to do.

Take a cue from Mamun. When he was a university student, he wrote and published a book. So, he had reasons to believe that he possessed the necessary skills to make a name for himself as a writer. 

What skills do you have? Think before you quit!