Q. I am seriously considering quitting my job, which is stressful and does not offer me any growth opportunities, especially now that I have been working from home for months, with the prospect of working from home for a lot longer. I want an office! I want to get out of the house! I want training and a mentor! I have heard that a lot of companies are hiring now. Do you think I’m crazy for wanting to quit?
A. You are right that many companies are hiring even during the pandemic—Covid-19 is no reason to stall in your career or ambitions. Stress reduction and career advancement are very understandable reasons for changing jobs.
However, it is also true that changing jobs while employed is much easier than finding a job when you are unemployed. Quitting and becoming unemployed brings additional stressors, including the sacrifice of your current health insurance.
You should also be aware that your desire to return to the office puts you among the minority of employees (23%) who prefer working in an office full-time instead of working at least some days from home. This could help your goal of changing jobs—or harm it among employers who prefer having employees work from home permanently. Research companies carefully to determine the flexibility of their work-from-home policies and whether their policies align with your goals.
You will also want to research their training policies, which vary by size of company and company position. According to a 2019 report by the training industry, US training expenditures decreased in large and medium-sized companies. They barely remained the same in smaller companies, causing an overall decrease of 5.3 percent. Training can include management and supervisor training, IT training, and compliance training, with training to staff suffering the most significant decreases year after year.
Finally, gaining a mentor depends greatly on your abilities to connect with possible mentors. Getting full value from a mentorship relies as much on you as your mentor. However, some companies have formal mentorship programs. You may want to research online to see the types and status of the mentorship programs these companies offer.
Regardless of your decision about changing jobs, your resume and online profile are critical in attracting hiring managers and recruiters. Right now, before you start searching, is the time to update your resume and profile so that they strongly reflect your accomplishments and any skills you have gained in your current job.
By conducting the research above, you will also better target your resume and profile to the industries and positions that are most likely to give you the flexibility, training, and mentorship you want while reducing stress and furthering your career. Robin’s Resumes® has career coaching and resume writing skills to help you every step of the way.