5 Signs It’s Time To Quit Your Job

Hey I’m Jeric and I create content to help you reach your full potential for the glory of God. Kung nakakaranas ka nitong mga signs na ‘to, baka oras na para umalis sa current work mo at maghanap ng bago.

Ito ‘yung 5 signs na oras na para umalis ka sa current work mo at maghanap ka ng bago.

Lagi ka bang drained kahit na nagsisimula pa lang ‘yung araw mo? ‘Yung tipong, hindi ka pa nakakaupon sa desk mo, paakyat ka pa lang ng building, parang pagod na pagod ka na? Tapos hindi ka na mapakali, gusto mo nang umuwi.

You’re either in a toxic workplace or you’re burned out. Or both. Either way, it’s time for you to reevaluate what you’re doing with your career.

Pero pano nga ba natin malalaman kung nasa toxic tayong work environment? You have to be intentional in reflecting about it. At ito ‘yung mga questions na pwedeng makatulong sayo para malaman mo kung toxic ba ‘yung pinagtatrabahuhan mo.

Question 1: May positive energy pa bang natitira sayo pagkatapos ng shift mo? 

Or do you feel exhausted after? Na parang sobrang empty ka kahit na galing ka lang sa weekend o wala ka naman masyadong ginawa?

Question 2: Masaya ka ba kapag nasa trabaho ka o palagi kang stressed?

Hindi dahil sa work ah? Madalas, ang dahilan ng stress natin ay ‘yung workmates natin o ‘yung boss natin. I’ve rarely met people who quit their jobs because it was hard. Pero madalas akong makakita ng mga taong umaalis sa workplace nila dahil ‘yung boss at workmates nila, sobrang toxic.

Question 3: ‘Yung toxic ba ay specific na mga tao lang o halos lahat ng mga tao sa paligid mo?

Kung halos lahat ng tao sa paligid mo ay mahilig sa office drama, chismis, o kung anu-ano pa, it would affect you. Hindi nakakapagtaka na lagi kang drained kung puro negative vibes ‘yung nakapalibot sayo buong araw.

Maraming tao ‘yung ‘di agad napapansin ‘yung toxicity ng workplace nila. Akala nila, normal lang ‘yung gano’ng klase ng workplace environment—maraming away, chismis, back stab-an, at iba pa. Parang dati masaya sila at excited sa work pero ngayon, wala na. Halos hindi na makapag-concentrate sa work dahil mas problema pa ‘yung mga tao kaysa sa trabaho.

Bukod sa mga questions na na-share ko sa taas, pwede mo rin gamitin ‘tong simpleng guide na ‘to para malaman mo kung okay pa ba ‘yung workplace kung nasaan ka.

1: Observe the workplace culture

Puro na lang ba reklamo, gossip, at away ‘yung naririnig at nakikita mo sa office n’yo? Your company culture affects how motivated you feel more than anything else. Kahit pa kasi sabihin mong gusto mo ‘yung trabaho mo, darating ‘yung time na aayaw ka sa kumpanya. Why? Because your willpower is limited. But the culture sticks with you.

For example, kapag ba may ginawang kalokohan ‘yung isang workmate mo tapos sinabi niyo sa authority, may ginagawa ba sila? I’ve heard from a friend na meron silang boss who’s commiting workplace infidelity. Pero no’ng ni-report nila sa higher ups and even to HR, walang nangyari. Ang resulta? Sobrang baba ng morale ng mga tao sa department nila.

2: Check your energy levels 

Pagod ka ba dahil sa trabaho mismo o dahil sa drama sa opisina? Magkaiba kasi ‘yung pagod na ‘yung eh. Kapag pagod ka sa trabaho, feeling mo productive ka at fulfilled ka. Feeling mo may progress and the work you do matters. Pero kung ‘yung pagod mo dahil sa drama, draining ‘yun.

3: Assess your emotional well-being

Mas madalas ka bang anxious o stressed kaysa excited pumasok sa work? That can be an indication that you’re working in a toxic environment. Now, syempre hindi lagi. Kasi may mga oras naman talaga na hindi tayo okay emotionally kahit na okay naman ‘yung work natin. 

But if you’re experiencing that for a long period of time now, you might wanna step back and reflect on it.

Padami lang ng padami yung ginagawa tapos wala kang natututunan. Hindi ka naggo-grow at parang walang balak sayo yung management kundi yung mag-stay ka lang sa current position mo.

Para ka lang si Sisyphus na inuulit-ulit ‘yung pagtutulak ng bato paakyat ng burol. Tapos pagdating sa taas, mahuhulog lang ulit pababa ‘yung bato. He’d have to go back down and push it back up… only to do it again. And again. And again for the rest of his life.

Now, let’s be real: there are boring moments in doing our job. Walang trabaho ‘yung lagi kang masaya. You’ll experience plateaus, high and lows, and the feeling of being stuck. 

But if you aren’t growing, you’re dying.

The thing is, you can’t be happy in life if you’re not experiencing growth. At maggo-grow ka lang kapag may bago kang natututunan at ginagawa.

Think about these questions:

> Kailan ka huling natuto ng bagong skill sa trabaho?

> May ginagawa ba ‘yung bosses mo para matulungan kang mag-grow?

> Kung mag-stay ka dito ng 3 taon pa, magiging better version ka ba ng sarili mo?

Before we move forward, I want to get something out of the way. ‘Yung growth ng career mo ay hindi lang responsibilidad ng boss amo mo. YOU are the primary person who’s responsible for your own growth. Kailangan mong mag-invest ng time, effort, and money para mag-grow ka sa career na gusto mo.

But (and this is a big BUT), your boss has to help you become a better worker. They have to support you, guide you, and yes, invest in you.

Kaya ako, I would always push people to ask for training. Sabihin mo sa boss mo ‘yung mga goals na gusto mong maabot at mga pangarap mong projects para makatulong sa kumpanya. And give them an opportunity to help you. Tapos kung ayaw nila, that’s the time you rethink about what you want for your career.

1: List down the skills you’ve learned in the past 6 months.

Kung wala kang maalala, malaking warning sign ‘yan na hindi ka naggo-grow sa career mo. I’m not saying that your boss should send you to training every month. What I’m saying is, dapat kahit papaano, may itinuturo sayong isang bagay na hindi mo alam. Meron silang ina-assign sayong projects o tasks kung saan may skills kang pwedeng ma-develop.

If wala talaga, be the first one to ask. ‘Yung pagiging proactive, sign ‘yan na dapat mag-invest sila sayo. At kapag ikaw ‘yung unang nag-iisip ng mga projects, nanghihingi ng chance na matuto, makikitaan ka ng proactiveness na characteristic. Isang trait ‘yan rare sa mga taong makikilala mo sa corporate.

I remember a time during my 1-on-1 evaluation with my boss. Malapit pa lang akong ma-regular nito pero marami na akong nagawang magagandang projects sa company. To the point na binigyan ako ng boss ko ng bonus out from his own pocket (kasi hindi naman kasama sa bonus ang mga probationary employees).

Pagkatapos naming mag-usap, nagtanong siya kung meron pa akong concern. That was when I told him that I wanted to be promoted in less than a year. Tinanong ko siya, anong maa-advice niya sakin? He was stunned with the question. Kitang-kita mo sa mukha niya na hindi niya in-expect ‘yung tanong. You can feel the tension in the room. Pero ‘yung tension na ‘yun, hindi negative ‘yung energy. It was an energy of nervousness and surprise. 

But I knew why I asked that question: gusto kong ipakita na proactive ako at may gusto akong patunguhan sa career ko. Now, wala siyang sagot sa tanong na ‘yun. He just gave a generic answer, “Ituloy mo lang ‘yung mga ginagawa mo. Magaganda mga ideas mo eh…” Pero hinding-hindi ko makakalimutan ‘yung ngiti no’ng boss ko after kong itanong ‘yun.

And what do you know? A few months after, bago ako mag-isang taon sa kumpanya, I was promoted as a supervisor. Then a few months after that? Manager.

Be proactive. It’s going to take you farther in your career than working yourself to death.

2: Tanungin mo ‘yung sarili mo kung may opportunity ba sa promotion o mas malaking role.

May mga companies din kasi na hindi nagpo-promote kahit na magaliing naman talaga ‘yung isang employee. May mga boss din na may pinapaboran (‘yung tinatawag na “favoritism”) at ‘yung ang nakakakuha ng malalaking opportunities sa company.

Pero kung may nakikita kang growth sa company, that’s a reason to stay. Lalo na kung okay ‘yung boss mo at marami kang natututunan. Get as much learning as you can and do as much project as you can (without overwork and sacrificing your freedom). Although sila ‘yung makikinabang sa project, ikaw ‘yung makaka-develop ng skills.

And skills stay with you until you die.

“Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” —Dolly Parton, Singer-Songwriter

Puro ka na lang ba trabaho tapos uuwi ka lang para matulog? ‘Yung tipong ginagawa mo na lang sleeping quarters yung bahay mo? If that’s the case, isang sign ‘yan na dapat i-reevaluate mo na ‘yung trabaho mo ngayon.

Maraming Pinoy professionals ‘yung sinasagad ang overtime, hindi dahil gusto nila, kundi dahil ‘expected’ sa trabaho. Iniisip nila, hindi sila magsa-succeed at hindi sila makakakuha ng respeto kung hindi nila uubusin lahat ng oras nila sa trabaho.

I saw this thread on reddit and I think a lot of people will be able to relate to this:

Whether ‘yung pagkawala ng work-life balance mo ay dala ng sarili mong choice o pressure sa trabaho, pareho lang ‘yun. I think both are signs that you need to reevaluate what you’re doing with your career (and life, too)!

There’s more to life than work. Hindi mo kailangang ubusin ‘yung time and energy mo kung hindi rin naman fulfilling ‘yung ginagawa mo. Yes, work takes a good part of our life. Pero hindi ibig sabihin no’n na ‘yun na lang ang magiging parte ng buhay natin.

I’m not encouraging you to ditch work altogether, ah? What I’m simply getting at ay kapag ‘yung work mo, chokes out all the fun out of life. Wala ka nang oras to work on and maintain your health, relationships, spiritual life, and so on.

Sabi nga sa Mark 8:36, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” If your life is spent working at nakuha mo nga lahat ng goals mo, pero wala kang kasama to celebrate it with, are you really successful?

Personally, I don’t think so. And although confusing ang sinasabi ng mundo, I believe that life thrives when we are in balance. Hindi sa lahat ng bagay—kundi sa mga bagay na importante para sa’tin.

Compensation is a really big issue here in the Philippines. 

Maraming empleyado ang overworked and underpaid dito sa Pilipinas. They’ve been in the company for a long time pero hindi sila properly compensated. In fact, mas malaki pa ‘yung compensation ng mga bagong pasok na same ng position kaysa sa kanila.

The good thing about this, though, is you now have more control than ever before. May mga websites na magpapakita sayo kung fair yung compensation na nakukuha mo. Kapag kasi sapat yung compensation mo, malaki yung nababawas na stress nito sa buhay natin.

> You won’t worry about money as much

> You have enough disposable income to save money

> You can prepare for your retirement

> You will live a more comfortable life

> You don’t have to waste time and energy thinking about how you’ll make it through the month

Here’s the kicker: Research shows na yung monetary compensation, malaking demotivator yan. Ibig sabihin kapag mababa sweldo mo, you can’t help but feel demotivated.

On the other hand, kapag naman sapat yung sweldo mo, hindi ibig sabihin na fulfilled ka na sa trabaho mo. If you don’t receive other things like recognition or a sense of progress, wala rin talaga. Feeling mo pa rin stuck ka.

Now, when it comes to compensation, hindi lang naman ‘to tungkol sa pera eh. Yes, malaking portion nito ‘yung sapat na pera para hindi ka mamroblema. But there are other ways to compensate employees—and some appreciate these more, especially when they’re paid enough.

Isang paraan para maramdaman nating “valued” tayo sa loob ng kumpanya ay ‘yung nare-recognize ‘yung mga ambag natin. Nabibigyan tayo ng credit for a job well done—for doing something that exceeds their expectation.

Sadly, marami na ngang Pinoy ang underpaid, wala pang nakukuhang recognition mula sa mga bosses. ‘Yung literal na imbes ayusin ‘yung recognition system ng kumpanya, magpapa-pizza na lang so everyone feels motivated.

External motivation doesn’t always work. But catching the good in people (and praising it in public) always will.

Meron ka bang HMO, insurance, at iba pang mga benefits na natatanggap sa kumpanya? Hindi naman ‘to required sa lahat ng kumpanya. Alam naman natin na majority of the businesses in the Philippines are medium-sized companies.

Pero iba kasi ‘yung pakiramdam na inaalagaan tayo ng kumpanyang pinaglalaanan natin ng sikap at talento. We feel more motivated in working for them and doing a lot more things for them.

Nagpapakita ‘tong control sa dalawang bagay: (1) decision-making, and (2) control over time. Unahin natin ‘yung pangalawa—control over time. Hindi naman lahat meron niyan. After all, maraming tao ‘yung may specific time in and out sa trabaho nila.

But we can feel like we have control over our time kung hindi tayo mina-micromanage ng mga boss natin. Hindi sila nakatingin sa bawat galaw natin. Hindi binabantayan ‘yung bawat alis natin sa upuan, bawat lakad, bawat pagkuha ng tubig, pagpunta sa CR, o pakikipag-usap sa katrabaho.

’Yung kontrol naman sa pagdedesisyon ay makukuha natin kapag naintindihan natin ‘yung scope of work natin. Hanggang saan ang kaya nating gawin? May kalayaan ba tayong gumawa ng sarili nating desisyon at diskarte sa mga bagay na ginagawa natin? O taga-oo lang tayo sa mga utos ng boss natin?

Being underpaid and undervalued is an open door telling you it’s time to look for better opportunities out in the wild.

Preparation is the secret to courage.

Kung prepared ka na—meron kang ipon, may ibang source of income ka, o may ibang opportunities na present sayo—malaking sign na ‘yan. You are more than capable of quitting your job. Ibig sabihin, hindi ka mape-pressure financially. 

The key to prepping? Save money. If you want some ideas on how to save an additional P5,000.00 to P10,000.00 per month, download my free eBook, "The Invisible Peso." Dito, naglagay ako ng 150+ easy to do ideas kung paano ka makakatipid. Just click the button below and tell me where to send it, ise-send ko sayo.

But let’s be real: pwede kang ma-trap sa mindset ng preparation. Ito ‘yung puro ka paghahanda tapos dini-disguise mo lang ‘yung takot mo as “hindi ka pa ready.” In reality, you’re more than ready, you just can’t make the leap of faith. So, ang tanong…

Madalas na iniisip ng mga tao, you need a complete Emergency Fund (6 months of your income) bago ka mag-quit sa trabaho. Although that helps, I think that’s an overestimation. Hindi mo kailangang buuin agad ‘yan. Why? Because you’ll waste years of your life waiting for that to happen. At kung sobrang toxic na ng work environment mo, you have to quit as soon as humanly possible.

So, what’s the answer?

Personally, it depends. Kailangan mo ng math dito para makapag-ready ka. For example, based on your experience, gaano ka ba katagal bago makahanap ng trabaho? Do you take 1, 2, 3 months? Isa kasi ‘yan sa dapat mong isaalang-alang kapag magpe-prepare ka sa pagre-resign.

Pangalawa, kaya mo bang maghanap ng trabaho habang employed ka? O mas gusto mong magpahinga muna bago ka maghanap ng malilipatan? That’s another factor that you should consider.

Pangatlo, are there people you’re responsible for? May binubuhay ka bang pamilya, asawa, at mga anak? Kung wala, then you don’t need a lot of money. Kung meron, you need considerably more time, money, and preparation.

So, let’s say na si Enrique, isang employee na single, 28 years old, ay gusto nang mag-quit. Historically, nakakakuha siya ng work in just 1.5 months after niyang magsimulang mag-apply. I think having 3 to 4 months worth of salary is more than enough to cover his “mini-retirement.”

On the other hand naman, si Marvin, isang married employee na may dalawang anak, maaaring kailangan niya ng 6 months or more. Especially if it would take him 3 months or more para makahanap ng lilipatan. Aside from that, may pamilya siyang umaasa sa kanya.

To help you prepare, here are some ideas on what you can do.

1: Save money

I-compute mo kung magkano ‘yung kakailanganin mo para sa pagre-resign mo. If you need ideas kung paano mo mapapabilis ‘yung pag-iipon mo, join my 6-figure savings challenge. Hindi lang magbabago ‘yung paningin mo sa pera, magkakaroon ka rin ng real-world ideas kung paano ka makakaipon ng malaki.

2: Find alternative sources of income

In my observation, having an extra source of income right now isn’t optional. It’s a necessity. Bukod sa taas ng bilihin ngayon, ‘pag may extra source ka, mas mabilis mo rin maaabot ‘yung mga financial goals mo. At hindi mo kailangang sagarin ‘yung sarili mo para lang maabot ‘yung mga ‘yun.

You can live comfortably and achieve your dreams in life by having a side business.

3: Plan your exit

Once na umalis ka, ano nang susunod mong step? Saan ka mag-aapply? Anong position ang hahanapin mo at magkano ang hihingiin mong sweldo? O kung hindi ka maghahanap ng trabaho, anong negosyo ang sisimulan mo?

Having your next few steps laid out is the key to being confident in your plan. You don’t have to see the whole way—just enough to move forward.

To summarize, ito ‘yung 5 malaking sign na dapat mag-quit ka na:

1: toxic work environment

2: no growth

3: no work-life balance

4: unfair compensation

5: you’re prepared

Kung nararanasan mo ang isa o higit pa sa mga signs na ‘yan, baka oras na para mag-isip kung ano ang ginagawa mo sa career mo. Hindi madaling mag-resign, pero mas mahirap mag-stay sa trabaho na hindi ka na masaya o hindi mo na gusto.

After all, buhay mo yan at ikaw yung responsable diyan.

That’s it for me. Thanks for watching and remember…

Just conquer today,

Jeric Timbang