Before you resign, wait!

I recently wrote an article about me finally leaving my current company. I know we’ve all been there, dragging through each day and just wanting to be free out of this corporate slavery. The hidden resignation letter we have drafted months ago.

We have different reasons, some would say that they want growth, professional and personal, others and I think most of us lately, would just want a better working environment.

This was heightened during the pandemic as some are required to go on-site and risk their lives. In the work from home set-up, there is actually little to none when it comes to personal and work space.

I am for everyone knowing their worth and actually asking and seeking for it, whether by a raise, promotion or what I did, finding a new company that is more aligned with my values. But resigning wasn’t a one night impulsive decision that I made, it’s actually months of work before I get to the point where I can fully say, I can resign. I know I’ve done a lot of impulsive things in my life and I will do more, knowing myself. But quite frankly, resignation wasn’t one of them. 

So here are the things I did to prepare myself for resignation:

Career Path

Professional and personal growth are one of my cornerstones in finding a job. In my current profession, audit - it is a high pacing and dynamic environment. I opted to stay within the same industry as I know that I have way much more to learn and to improve within myself. 

I am transferring to another auditing firm so I really wouldn’t sacrifice any learning and experience. 

I think before fully resigning, thinking if the direction that you are taking is the career path you want yourself to be in, is a must. It will make it easier to find a job and another company if you know the career path you want to take. 

In the case you want to change careers, go for it! Take a leap but of course, you have lots to take into consideration. 

Back up plan 

I think before you fully resign, as most of the adults would say, it’s better if you have another offer from a different company or a plan on where you will get your resources. In these trying times, there are a lot of sectors that have scarce workforce but there also sectors which have oversupply of workforce. 

Whether it be opening a new small business, transferring to another company, resting for a while or anything under the sun, I think planning what you will do after resigning is a must so that you wouldn’t just make it impulsively. 

As for my case, I started applying and actually got an offer before I handed in my resignation letter. 

Emergency Fund

I cannot emphasize enough the value of this.

For me, an emergency fund is your safety net, an opportunity provider. This gives you a buffer to fully decide on things before stepping into it. 

In my case, I would have no salary for a month. Of course, we have bills to pay and we need to eat so I just can’t resign out of the blue and starve to death. But having an emergency fund, my financial concerns lessen and I am totally clearing out the financial pressure that I will be facing when I will resign. 

Look, there would be a lot to consider before resigning and making an emergency fund gives you one problem you can cross out. As per the things that I have read, an emergency fund is usually around 3-6 months worth of your salary. 

So imagine quitting your job and deciding to take a rest or can’t easily find a new job, you have at least 3-6, depending on what you save, buffer time which not everyone can afford. This will give you a clearer mind and relieve you of a lot of pressure in getting a new job that you don’t like immediately.

Take a leap

For my young readers out there, I would just like to say to trust yourself and your own instincts. A lot of people would prevent you from resigning, whether it be your boss who still needs your talent and skill, your family who needs you to support them, your friends who could be thinking that you are making a wrong decision. At the end of the day, trust yourself! You got this and it’s okay if you don’t know what you’re doing, because honestly no one really does.

Come to think of it, it doesn't just apply to young readers who are still on the early stage of their career. I think that some senior professionals can also change career any time and just trust themselves.

Of course there would be a lot more to consider before fully handling that resignation letter you drafted months ago but the bottom line is… don’t make an impulsive decision based on something that would really impact your life. 

I’ve been seeing a lot of jokes where it would say, this is your sign to resign (it rhymes!). But it’s way more than escaping, it should be a tactical move because as much as we like it or not, it would have an impact on your life. 

Lead image: Photo by Xu Haiwei on Unsplash