Resigning & Reevaluating Your Career Path

Learning Lessons

Whether you're starting out in your career, or you're further along on your path, the best takeaway from any role is what you learn from it and how you become a better human as a result. 

That doesn't mean that you need added on-the-job training. It's more to say that you can strengthen your résumé—or CV—as well as adding to your experience as you move from one role to another. 

Your life shouldn't have to revolve around work, and work-life balance must be the norm.

The More You Grow, The More You Know

Reflection on your experiences is how you grow and evolve as a human, a friend, as a professional, and in society.

In the start of my career, and it has changed over time, I felt willing to do anything to show my value and my worth. I would take on more hours, find ways to be more efficient, be willing to help others in any aspect at work even if it was out of my wheelhouse. As a first-generation child of immigrants who didn't say "no" to work so long as it provided for their family and kept a roof over their heads, this mentality was programmed into me from early on. To this day, I still have [some] trouble breaking away from it; I am also thankful that I can be objective about myself and see my own shortcomings.

In my journey of traversing from strict corporate nonsense—such as pulling 50 hours on a 40 hour workweek, to an hourly employee in a corporate setting—which allowed for generous overtime because management had no idea what they were doing, to re-learning everything in a startup environment—better pay, unlimited PTO, and having an actual opinion and voice; my journey has definitely taught me you don't have to be the best at everything all at once, but as long as you find your niche, that can elevate you in unimaginable ways.

I've learned to become stronger and more confident in asking for help when it's needed, and I've learned that specific teams exist to help others, and that it's okay to ask them for help. Trying to do it all alone and in silence is just detrimental to you, your mental health, your emotional well-being, and—if you care enough—your performance on the job. Be cool as a cucumber and take the time figure out the best path from start to finish, rather than do-do-do until you're drained of all life and color.

Once you've gotten to the point of understanding that most roles require a team effort—although not evident at first, there's always a team in place for one function or another, and that'll absolutely get you far, and keep you sane and in tact.

Time for a Change

No longer being happy in a role, or coming to the realization that you've learned all that you possibly could in your current role is a great indicator that you need to grow. Also, being bold enough to say to yourself what you'll accept and not accept as a role is another sign you've grown in your professional career. If you're in a place, financially and professionally, to wield this power on your career, then it's definitely a chance worth taking.

If you're evaluating a possible promotion or a new role internally, great! Definitely pursue what you want to accomplish as it aligns to your own career path. It also may or may not take a surprising turn, in favor of or not in favor of, the best move forward. Sometimes these things are unforeseen, but in most cases the writing is on the wall if you follow the money—ie. is my company having financial troubles/does it seem to be on a growth trajectory/is it aligning with me and my goals?

Reevaluating and thinking about resigning can also be the other side of the coin. Has your company done something in which you're no longer aligned? Has there been a shift to go back to the office, when remote was working just fine and you were super productive? Any aspect of your company or role that changes—and or has become misaligned—with your values and what makes you a strong candidate or professional should definitely give you pause to ask yourself "Is this what I still want?" Having this objectivity to self-evaluate yourself is the biggest sign that you've grown and matured as an individual and as a professional. 

There's no shame in any of it: you don't owe your current employer anything! You owe yourself growth, you owe yourself a better balance in your life, and you owe your mental health room to breathe. Take the time to be with yourself and ask yourself all of the questions.

It is not selfish to put you first—think of the airplane announcements when they talk about the oxygen masks. You're welcome!