Have you ever felt so frustrated at your current position that you have seriously considered throwing in the towel? Have you ever felt that although you don’t have a plan B to resort to, the feeling of quitting feels very tempting?
Perhaps you had a disagreement with your manager, a difficult client, or were passed up on a promotion you rightfully deserved. Regardless of the reason why you’re feeling frustrated, it’s important to strategically assess your situation before making any decisions. A common mistake we see many legal professionals make is resigning out of frustration without having another job lined up for them. An issue with this is that they usually settle for their next position instead of upgrading to their next career role.
Don’t Burn Bridges
So let’s talk about the idea of resigning without having another job lined up. We know at times this can be tempting, but it is important to understand that when you resign abruptly, you damage your relationship with your supervisors and potentially your co-workers too.
Regardless of the reason, if you leave with anything less than a 2 weeks notice, you could be causing additional issues for yourself down the road. Whatever your reason, you don’t want to leave on bad terms when possible. Especially since you are going to need references for your future job applications and interviews.
Is it Worth the Pay Cut?
Another issue with job searching while being unemployed is you might have to take a pay cut. Before you make any abrupt decisions on resigning from your current role, decide if this sudden leave will be worth a pay cut.
A reason that you may take a pay cut is some hiring managers may think there is nothing keeping you from accepting their offer. It’s harder to negotiate a higher salary when you don’t have an existing salary. So instead of earning more, which is what most interviewees anticipate, you might be looking at either the same salary range or even less. And that will most likely be a deal-breaker for you.
As recruiters, while not impossible, it can be more difficult to place someone that is currently unemployed because it may raise questions for employers. It can also be financially difficult for you. No one likes the feeling of uncertainty, the feeling of frustration, and the fear of having to take on more work for less compensation.
You certainly don’t want to be ill-equipped when changing jobs, so we highly recommend you at least begin interviewing with other employers before you resign from your current role. You want to have a better sense of the job market and opportunities available before making a jump.
Be Prepared
The thing is, the job market is competitive. And employers and hiring managers are always going to favor candidates that are already employed. Why? Because you always want what you can’t have and employed professionals almost always appear to have what they want. Unfortunately, when you’re unemployed, it can be more difficult as employers wonder why. This does not mean that it is impossible though.
A large number of people have experienced being laid off from their jobs during the pandemic. Countless numbers people have been forced to re-enter the job search after being loyal to the same company or firm for many, many years. Again, this does not mean that finding a job after you resign is impossible, it’s just more difficult.
So instead of throwing in the towel immediately, make sure that you make decisions based on logic and not just emotions alone. Do you have a game plan? Do you know any recruiters that specialize in your field you could contact? Have you tested the job market for your role or skills? Make sure you have all your ducks lined up in a row before you pull the trigger.
We highly recommend that you update your resume and your LinkedIn profile. Make sure that you have connections on LinkedIn and that you can connect with other specialized recruiters or potential hiring managers. You can also discreetly set up your LinkedIn to “Open to New Opportunities.” Just make sure this is not set publicly to all of your connections, so your current employer does not see this.
Also, do your due diligence to research the current job market. Remember, preparation is key in this scenario. You don’t want to leave on bad terms from your current position and struggle to find employment.
Break the Cycle
Also, be sure you truly understand why you’re really leaving your current place of employment and feel good about your decision. Is it because of the compensation? Is it because you want to keep working from home but are unable? Perhaps you just want to relocate altogether? Whatever that reason is, you want to make sure that you are well-equipped to transition into a new role without repeating the same issues from your current place of employment.
The last thing you want is to leave your current job, settle on another role, and still be unfulfilled and dissatisfied. You would just be creating a cycle of a disappointment for yourself. And hiring managers and recruiters can easily spot “job hoppers.” So if we see you have a very short tenure in all of your previous positions, that is a red flag. Employers and recruiters want to make sure that you are in it for the long haul because it is risky for them to onboard someone who has a pattern of leaving abruptly. Think of it from the hiring manager’s standpoint – onboarding someone is costly, and they are not going to risk this on someone they are unsure about.
In Conclusion
Consider this your sign to reconsider any irrational decisions you might be tempted to make. At the end of the day, it is up to you to decide your career path. As recruiters, we always want to make sure we set our candidates up for success. Regardless if they want to work with staffing specialists or on their own, it is important that we guide them in the right direction.
You never want to short-sell yourself, so we highly recommend you search for a job while you are still employed. Again, you can still absolutely find a job if you leave your current role, but you will likely have a better outcome if you do so while you are still employed. So before you pack up your things and leave, take a deep breath and contact a recruiter you trust to inquire about any opportunities that may be right for you.