Ok, so this is sort of over the top, but I’m willing to bet there are many people who have had EXACTLY that thought. Raise your hand if you’ve thought about this.

Of course, there was a time when you could act on this sentiment.  It used to be easy to leave your job and find and new one; sometimes the same day. However, in the decades since those glory days, things have changed. Jobs are difficult to land and people think long and hard about leaving their job, especially if they have no job to go to. More often than not, people put up with jobs that for one reason or another are soul-sucking and/or abusive.

As a Career Counsellor, it is my job to stay abreast of trends in the Labour Market. In the past few years I have seen many people who were very discouraged by their work situation, but were not willing to leave their job for fear of not finding another. However, in spite of the precarious nature of the current job market, I am now seeing a trend – people who have had enough! Enough of disrespect and enough abuse! Some people are so fed up with their job that they are willing to take a huge risk and simply quit their job. I don’t recommend this strategy.

Although it’s very scary, changing jobs is still something to consider. Life is too short to spend a significant amount of your time and energy at a job that sucks you dry and leaves you feeling abused. However, I think it’s a good idea to have a strategy for changing jobs instead of just throwing in the towel. It’s important to do research to find out what job possibilities are out there for you. Don’t just look for job postings that seem suitable. Read the job positing thoroughly, word for word, and make sure that it is a really good fit for you and your skills. Try to imagine yourself doing the job. Research the company to see if it looks like a place that you would enjoy working.

If you conclude that you want to apply for the job, make sure you do nothing less than a spectacular application, including a resume and cover letter, targeted specifically at that particular job and the needs of the company.  Use your resume and cover letter to prove to the company that you are capable of doing the job and making a contribution. Remember, you may be competing with more than 100 other people, so you need to make sure that your application will be noticed and will land you an interview.

Is changing jobs worth it? You won’t know until you do it, but I encourage everyone to explore the possibilities that await you.