Should You Leave Your Job Before Having a New One?

No doubt, you will have received an abundance of advice about whether this is the right thing to do. Should you leave a permanent job, before having another lined up to start? I have listed some points both for and against this line of action, for your consideration.

The Pros:

  • Being immediately available allows you, as the job seeker or the prospective employer, the option of the ‘try before you buy’ approach. This can be mutually beneficial to both the job seeker and the hiring manager.
  • It allows you the flexibility to attend interviews and not have this impact on your job performance.
  • There is no need to make up excuses for arriving late/leaving early, which understandably makes a lot of people feel uncomfortable.
  • You have the opportunity to spend more time on your personal interests outside of work, such as your family, sport and your hobbies.
  • If you find yourself in an untenable or just plain awful working environment, it gets you out of there, quickly. Life is too short.

The Cons:

  • The time taken to secure that new role may be longer than expected and you need to be able to ensure that you have planned for the time you may spend on the ‘job’ sidelines, such as having your finances in order.
  • It can raise unnecessary questions. Did you leave your past employer on a voluntary basis or is there something ‘more’ behind your resignation?
  • Being ‘out of work’, the time taken to secure your new role is more evident to potential employers, whereas when you are still working; this is harder for people to quantify or work out.
  • Being in the job market is a job in and of itself. There is a lot of time spent working through your network and attending numerous interviews.
  • Not having a job can also be quite stressful. Some jobseekers feelings of self worth can be intertwined with having a job. Your employment status can even extend to your standing in your social community group, having to answers questions such as; “where are you working, now?”

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Simon Gressier • April 18, 2018

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