How To Know When It's Time To Leave a Role

Leaving a role can be a smart career move. The right timing, however, is not always clear, especially with AI rewriting what jobs even require people to do and workers not feeling as loyal to employers as they once did. Remember, you can leave a role without leaving your company, so start by taking stock of your career and be realistic about whether your work-life balance has tilted too far to your job.

But just because work is hard, it doesn't mean people should just quit. Never run from something. Run to something better. For employees, managers, and even leaders struggling in their jobs, here are the signs to look for when it's time to move on — and how to manage the transition gracefully.

Don't Ignore That Sense of Dread

One big sign there might be something better to run toward is when you have achieved your goals in a role or do not see growth prospects. Earlier in my career, I had exhausted those possibilities after working as a chief marketing officer job for eight years (the average CMO tenure among the top 100 advertisers in the U.S. is 39 months). Another time, I had set up the whole digital marketing group, but the person above me was the CMO, which left me nowhere to go. In both cases, staying would not have given me many opportunities to advance.

Next, are you dreading returning to work after the weekend? If so, that is a good sign you should at least start looking for other work, because that kind of stress can lead to burnout — described as "a manifestation of chronic unmitigated stress." Missing deadlines, as well as experiencing fatigue, insomnia and changed appetites are all signs that stress is taking an unsustainable toll.

Observe how skewed your work-life balance has become and whether you are seeing or answering emails or other work messages long after you have finished for the day. Not eating well or turtling — sucking everything in and isolating — are warning signs for me, too. So, get serious about how these coping mechanisms are stacking up, make a checklist, and weigh them against what you are seeking from a job. Sometimes, seeing things in black and white can shake us out of denial.

Factor in Values, Balance and Relationships

In the '90s, I would spend time in day trading shops where people sat on computers in dark rooms. They were sucked into the environment like they were in a Vegas casino. Although some of those people probably did great, I knew there had to be a better way to invest.

I am not the only one whose experience made them question whether their job matches what they need, want and believe. In many companies in the banking industry, employees are required to take five days where they don't log in or do any work. In one of my previous positions, a colleague who took his five days off did activities with his daughter that he would not normally get the chance to do. He didn't quit immediately, but the break gave him a chance to realize he wanted a position that wasn't so all-consuming.

Think about the fact that work relationships can be deeply meaningful. People typically spend at least 40 hours a week with their coworkers. I have had teams where, if members were to leave, it would be easier for me to go, too. I have one colleague I have spent eight hours a day with for the past eight years. If you don't have people you are really connected to at work, exiting from a role or company might make more sense.

I have also seen managers who had heavy work burdens and seemed to not sleep. Weekend meetings were required. I couldn't help but recall what Dale Carnegie, John Maxwell, and other leaders have said — people don't leave companies, they leave managers. A simple question can break the spell of remaining loyal at the expense of one's own well-being. If you have a manager with unreasonable expectations and no work-life balance, ask yourself: "If I was promoted to that role, would I even want that life?"

How To Exit Gracefully

It's okay to lean on your intuition when evaluating whether to stay or go. It is also okay when you are upset to confide in someone you trust and take some time to think — do not ever submit a resignation when emotions are still running hot. If you do decide to leave, don't just walk out the door. A proper exit strategy can reflect better on you and potentially provide opportunities down the road.

Boomeranging — going back to a previous company — is a real thing. So, don't burn bridges by staging your own Jerry Maguire-style walkout. I have made that mistake and was never hired back. But I have also seen the flip side of being welcomed back to a company after exiting gracefully and developing my career in the interim. Finally, ask two or three people for simple, three- to four-sentence references. Resist the temptation to air dirty laundry and write a polite resignation.

Focus on Your Big Picture

Staying in a job will not always help your career. It is also becoming much more common for people to job-hop, so there is much less stigma around leaving a business. It may be easier said than done, but to transition out of a role or company positively, make sure you are set up financially. You don't want to be financially unstable because future interviewers will be able to see it and you could lose bargaining power on the compensation side.

All of this adds up to having a proper exit strategy in place. Just remember that the immediate decisions you make might have long-term ramifications, so always keep the big picture of your career goals and working values in mind.