Sometimes, employees become tired of their jobs because of excessive workloads and tasks and quit. Some employees are brilliant and know how to handle and manage job stress. They do not leave their jobs without thinking of a second one.
Competent employees do not leave their jobs without searching for a second job. They first find a new job and then give a resignation for the first job. However, some employees could not handle the job stress, and they could not handle the operations of the jobs properly. Some people fail to handle the job tasks, and they get depression and anxiety. Quitting a job without a plan is the worst decision ever. You must make a plan first before resigning from a job.
Microsoft’s recent study demonstrates that resignation considerations reach up to 54% among Gen Z workers and 41% of worldwide employees. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that more than 240,000 Americans made job resignation decisions during July 2021. This detailed blog will discuss why you should not quit your job without a plan.
Differences Between Resignations and Job Quits
i. Resigning
Use resigning as a term for notifying your work about plans to exit your existing position. Writing your resignation letter and completing two weeks of work enables you to retain potential employment with the company.
Your coworkers and leaders will demonstrate respect for your exit while maintaining their position as solid professional references. These team members will pick up on your initiative and follow your lead to search for the most profitable remote job opportunities.
ii. Quitting
A quitting scenario happens when you leave abruptly without warning about your employment termination. Employee departure occurs outside standard HR procedures, including working a two-week notice period. Future job search opportunities may be compromised due to this action. Your contractual responsibilities might be violated according to your position in the company.
Quitting Without a Job: Pros & Cons
The consequences of job quitting without existing employment security.
Pro: Boost Your Mental Well-Being & Happiness
Harassment, respectful treatment, and free-standing policies immediately require you to exit your destructive workplace. Burnout symptoms will appear if you continue to work at your current job.
Before deciding to leave, take an extended break to experience complete workplace separation. The separation will be permanent if a break proves insufficient to resolve the situation.
Pro: More Time to Remote Job Search
Searching for the best work-from-home jobs demands nearly equivalent effort to employment responsibilities. Your burnout condition stemming from a 60+ hour workweek alongside constant stress makes it difficult for you to focus enough on applying for new positions. You will have both time and perspective on your career when you decide to leave your current position. Your work life will improve because you can reflect on your career aspirations and determine your professional dreams. Your time to research career changes and gain additional certifications through training will become necessary after making this decision.
Con: No Money, More Problems
Your unemployment happens at the same time that your expenses keep increasing when you leave your job without a replacement. Working roles in candidate-driven conditions experience maximum competition because employers actively seek remote workers. Switching jobs without any prospects can require months before you find suitable employment. Your emergency fund should remain untouched since unpredicted expenses, automobile incidents, and mechanical issues might occur.
The health insurance employment-based benefits will end as soon as you decide to leave your current job. Refer to your budget for the additional expenses needed to maintain insurance coverage after employment ends.
Con: You Might Feel Bad for Abandoning Your Team
All workers desire to remain a positive influence on their workplace environment. Your departure from a specific team could lead to team member resentment, which might result in a complete termination of professional contacts. You have complete freedom to choose between resignation or quitting. Before your leap, make sure you check your destination.
Don't Quit Your Job Without a Plan; Do This Instead
When no future seems possible with your current Employer, you must create a solid departure strategy to exit optimally. The following procedure for remote job queries and resignations will enable you to execute a successful departure.
i. Be Honest About Your Reasons for Leaving
Y03.2our first step when dealing with job aspects you dislike should be to engage HR and management through proper discussions. The combination of mutual efforts often leads to acceptable solutions thanks to shared admiration for the company and colleagues.
Taking this path without improvement would result in your job ending permanently. The company rejected your request to establish flexible work arrangements mainly when employees wanted remote capabilities. Your chances of improving in this situation are limited to zero, so you should search for better opportunities elsewhere.
Common reasons for leaving a job include company downsizing, mergers, misalignment with company values, lack of career growth, seeking a career change, better compensation, and relocation.
ii. Look for Positions in Remote Work
Interpreting remote job descriptions requires new decoding skills to understand their actual content. You should monitor three distinct job types after this point.
- Stretch Jobs
Development through stretch assignments removes you from familiar territories by asking you to push your abilities to the maximum and develop your career. An existing position as a marketing associate places you in a good starting point for applying to a marketing manager role that represents a stretch job. More employers seek employees with adaptable skills alongside experience from a range of different professional fields. The applications could result in getting callbacks even though you lack the required experience.
- Safety Jobs
The safety category contains positions that match the skills from your present job and resume and align with your current duties and comparable tasks.
- Contract jobs.
You can assess a different industry or occupation by working part-time to check out the market while keeping your current job. Temporary or gig work may develop into your fundamental earnings stream. It allows you to test your genuine love for this career path.
iii. Enhance Your Resume & Online Profile
You should always have a current, updated resume. Three updated resumes are necessary at all times. CVStep is an efficient tool that simplifies resume creation.
Professional career coaches advise building one resume template and transforming it into job-specific documents based on application requirements. After finding suitable job postings, you simply need to modify several statements in your template before saving a customized version, which makes you an early applicant.
- The resume should always be customized for individual positions. The job advertisement contains essential keywords, so review it thoroughly to add these terms to your resume. Your resume will beat ATS systems when you use the keywords from job listings, through which hiring teams will see you as their ideal candidate.
- Include specific capabilities that demonstrate your qualification for remote work. A remote position requires demonstrating your ability to execute job-related tasks, which can allow you to get hired despite your lack of experience. The key to success is incorporating the most critical technical competencies related to remote work.
- Your online professional reputation requires updates because employer searches should reveal precise information about you. Verify that your LinkedIn profile displays your active job responsibilities and valid certifications. The privacy of your Instagram platform and additional social profiles requires immediate adjustment to private mode.
- Develop an online portfolio that presents your resume skills to potential employers. Showcase the programming code you created, your executed campaigns and the businesses you served as clients. Your resume should include this link, which allows hiring teams to see your work in action.
- Begin informing your contacts about your intention to change careers. Avoid posting this information publicly, as it could reach your coworkers before your departure timeline becomes public.
iv. Plan a Respectful & Strategic Exit
Your boss and coworkers remain beyond your management scope even after you depart, as do the workplace circumstances that follow your departure. Your absence will almost certainly surprise others, but establishing a clear departure plan will preserve your professional references.
Your plan to leave work professionally should include the following details:
- Your plan must cover finishing unfinished work and managing long-term projects. You must conclude all items within the two weeks. Should you hand them off to a teammate? Develop a strategy to transition your responsibilities because work excellence must not disrupt colleagues’ work or clients’ responsibilities.
- Write a formal resignation letter. Your tone should reflect calmness and firmness in both your appreciation of the opportunity and your gained knowledge from your role responsibilities. Internet searches will help you find helpful resignation letter templates as a guide.
- Inform your supervisor immediately about your new job acquisition. Don’t delay this uncomfortable conversation. Provide your team with advance notice because sudden changes can cause disorganization. Request a solo meeting with your supervisor, either face-to-face or via video.
Final Words - Don't Quit Your Job Without a Plan
Quitting your job can be your best decision—but only if you do it wisely. Instead of making an emotional or impulsive exit, take time to plan your next steps carefully. Whether moving to a new job, launching a business, or taking a career break, having a strategy will set you up for long-term success. Before you resign, ask yourself: “Am I prepared for what comes next?” If the answer is no, take a step back and follow these steps to ensure a smooth and confident transition.
Patience, preparation, and persistence are the keys to a successful career. No matter how frustrating your current situation, making a strategic exit will always serve you better than an impulsive decision. When you leave on your terms, with a plan in place, you empower yourself to step into your next opportunity with confidence and clarity.
FAQs - Don't Quit Your Job Without a Plan
Securing another job before quitting is generally advisable unless you have substantial savings or a reliable income source. Quitting without a plan can put you under financial strain and make job searching more stressful.
A good rule of thumb is to save at least 3-6 months of living expenses. Aim for 6-12 months of savings if transitioning to self-employment.
If quitting isn’t financially feasible yet, focus on improving your situation:
Start job hunting quietly.Build new skills. Develop a side hustle for additional income. Look for ways to make your job more bearable (adjust workload, take breaks, or set boundaries).
Give proper notice (usually two weeks).Submit a well-written resignation letter.Offer to assist in the transition.Express gratitude for the opportunities you had.
Some popular side hustles include:
Freelancing (writing, graphic design, programming)
Selling products online (e-commerce, dropshipping). Coaching or consulting in your expertise. Real estate or stock market investments .Choose one that aligns with your skills and interests, and test its profitability before quitting.
