Know when to quit your job

August 13, 2012, 12:09 pmmenshealth

In a tough economic climate, deciding whether to quit your job is a bigger call than ever. Take this test before you tell your boss where to stick it

Health
Rating:
(5)


1. What keeps you in your job?
A. My long-term plan (+1)

B. It’s all I can do (-1)

“Unhappy employees fail to search for alternatives because they think they’re unmarketable,” says millionaire businessman Alan Sugar, the star of The Apprentice in the UK.

2. How do you keep in touch off-site?
A. My BlackBerry and mobile are never off (-1)

B. When I’m out the door that’s it (+1)

If you’re never off the job, it might be time to get a new one. “Somewhere along the way you lose the time for creative thought,” says organisational psychologist Ronald Downey. “The quantity goes up, but quality goes down.”

Related: Boost your career prospects

3. How does your boss make you feel?
A. Incompetent (-1)

B. Challenged (+1)

The biggest factor in job satisfaction is an employee’s relationship with his seniors, says Downey. But half of all employees say their relationship with management is negative, often because they aren’t challenged or see no room for progression.

4. You and your colleagues spend pub time discussing . . .
A. How bad work is (-1)

B. Footy news, movies and the girl on reception (+1)

Most people thrive when they have a social network at the office, but not when that network becomes the moan zone.

“People who bitch and moan end up making things worse,” says Dr Arthur Brief, professor of organisational behaviour at Tulane University in the US.

'''Related: [/mens-health/health/advice/article/-/8805524/what-your-co-workers-really-think-of-you/ What your co-workers

5. You can describe your job in . . .
A. A sentence (+1)

B. A 20-minute presentation (-1)

Wearing too many hats can destroy your focus and make a happy employee miserable. “Overload leads to stress and anxiety,” says Downey.

YOUR SCORE


Two points or less: you still here? It’s time to leave.
Between three and five points: stick it out, you’re onto a good thing.

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