Countless folks are vowing to make this the year they finally break free from a toxic or dead-end job. However, it will take some work to make any shifts.

“A new year is a new beginning, but only if you are willing to take the leap to make it happen,” said Megan Leasher, a Newport, Ky.-based executive coach and talent management expert with a Ph.D. in industrial and organizational psychology. “Look back on last year and realize what you tolerated that you shouldn’t have; think about how you will let go of that baggage in 2024 and take new steps for a new outcome.”

If you’re finding yourself at a crossroads between quitting and powering through, here’s how to tell if it’s time to quit.

In other words, you’re ambitious, afraid or ambivalent — an adage that comes from Eric McDermott, founder of NEXTpectations® and author of “Career Amplifiers: A Field Guide for Getting Ahead” (Nextpectations).

“I’ve found it helpful to use these in considering a job change,” he said. He advises that you move on “if you are ambitious but where you work shows little upside potential for you to reach your goals; if you are afraid, fearful or dreading your work or the people; or if you are ambivalent toward your work and the people, but can recall a time when that was not the case.”

Saying yes to any or all of the three As can be a sign that it’s time to part with your current role.

That feeling of lamenting the start of a new workweek can be a particularly potent signal something’s wrong. If you dread starting your workday, it may be time to cut ties, said Ashley Rudolph, a former tech executive turned leadership coach on the Upper West Side. “You’ll experience mental and physical drain when you’re no longer a fit for your current role,” she said.

Being unhappy at work to the point of wanting to leave can lead to giving up in other areas of life.
“Your habits shift in a negative direction when it’s time to leave a job,” said Leasher. “Your eating gets terrible (or even worse), your sleep patterns are nonexistent, your daily hygiene is like nonexistent, you don’t tidy up where you live, forget exercise … things like that.”

If you’re constantly having to defend your work, your decisions or your team, it’s time to be on your way.

“Some people internalize these cues as a sign to try harder or to be more convincing, but in my experience if you’re constantly running into friction when trying to get your work done, it’s a clear signal that you may no longer be a fit for your organization,” said Rudolph.

Work should be challenging, rewarding and exciting — “it should not be a daily struggle,” she added.

Another sign it’s time to start firing off your résumé is realizing you work for a manager who doesn’t support your career aspirations and that you don’t have an internal mentor or advocate.

“Like it or not, your manager has the biggest impact on your job satisfaction,” said Rudolph. If you have a close relationship with someone on your manager’s level or senior to them, you may be able to stick it out at the firm.

If not, “this means that you don’t have the support of higher-ups and likely won’t get the support you need to do your job effectively,” said Rudolph.

“Your own words share the message that it’s time to leave a job, even if your brain hasn’t quite gotten the message yet,” said Leasher. “We might be trying to get our attention by doing things like hesitating and/or swiftly changing the subject when someone inquires about our job,” she said. For instance, Leasher said you might regurgitate lame and vague platitudes like “it’s not like it used to be” when asked about your job.

We’ll spare you the somatic therapy 101 lesson, but it’s safe to say your physical state can reveal truths that your brain may not be ready to accept.

“Our bodies might be trying to get our attention by doing things like creating a feeling of bitterness and jealousy when you hear about someone else’s wonderful job, having a short fuse when dealing with nonsense at work, loss of energy, increase of muscle tightness, brain fog,” said Leasher. “Your gut and intuition feel like they are literally screaming at you, ‘I can’t take it anymore.’”

THE BOTTOM LINE

If one or more of these signs sound familiar, that’s a solid indicator it’s time to call it quits. That said, given financial considerations, that might not be realistic. Plus, it’s likely easier to secure a new job while you still have the old job.

McDermott said he isn’t a fan of people pulling the rug out from under themselves.

“The first people to talk with is any partner in your life that depends on your income,” he said. “From there, consider expanding the circle to include people you trust to call you out for your own best interest, not just tell you what you want to hear. Sometimes, there may be a strong reason to quit a job before finding another, though I much prefer securing a next opportunity — not only for [the] unbroken income, but it will also inform you about how reasonable the job market is, or perhaps help cure the ‘grass is greener on the other side’ syndrome.”

Leasher also encouraged this approach. “It might take some time to land something new, and during that time you can be evaluating to see if things are improving in your current job,” she said. “Hunting for a job doesn’t mean you are going to leave; it’s simply preparing yourself if you decide it’s the right thing for you to do.”

That being said, Rudolph believes most people stick it out too long, waiting for things to improve.
“If your current role is misaligned with your strengths, motivators and core values or if you don’t have a good relationship with your manager or if your company is on a downward trajectory — these are all strong indicators that you should be planning your departure.”