When you are in an unaligned and toxic job, the desire to escape can be strong. In this article, I’m sharing 6 things you need to know before you leave your unaligned job.
But before we get to those, what does a “toxic job” look like? It can look different for different people. Based on research, there are specific criteria or parameters for a workplace to be considered toxic. A toxic workplace might mean feeling isolated, feeling othered, unvalued, or disrespected. It may mean feeling unseen or having poor management.
Or maybe the environment isn’t toxic, but you don’t find the work fulfilling. Therefore, it is unaligned with what you want. Over time, this unalignment can eat away at your confidence and the value you have to add to the world.
We all have our breaking point where we realize how unhappy we are, and we want a change. Typically, when we hit our breaking point, we jump into job searching because we are in a place of desperation. When you leave without pausing to think about your move, you may find yourself in this cycle of jobs with the same qualities as your last that leave you unfulfilled, unaligned and miserable.
So, before you fall into this pattern, I want to share a few very key points with you.
What beliefs do you have about yourself that are not serving you to reach your goals? When we think about a belief system, these are stories we develop over time. Beliefs develop based on life experiences, messages, and thought patterns.
Over time, we take these things as foundational truths. We start to assume these belief systems are true without stopping to ask ourselves how those beliefs help or hinder us.
For example, if you have told yourself time and again you cannot get a specific promotion or job, every time you think of that job, you will feel a lack of confidence or even anxiety. When this happens, these feelings keep you from making that next move and taking ACTION.
Our beliefs are super powerful and drive everything we do. If you are in a job that is unaligned, ask yourself what your limiting beliefs are. Ask yourself what you believe is possible for you in the world of work. Are those beliefs getting you closer or further from your goals?
If the answer is the belief is keeping you from your goals, this belief is a limiting belief and keeping you from what you desire. Have you ever stopped to listen to how your body is responding when you are in a place of feeling unaligned? Research has shown that our entire body is aware and reactive to our thoughts. Your brain is listening to what you are thinking. So if you are telling yourself you are incapable of bettering yourself, your brain will accept this as the truth, even though it most certainly is not.
Bottom line– get clarification on your limiting beliefs before you leave your unaligned job or else you may very well find yourself in a cycle of the same toxic jobs time and again.
The next second thing you need to know before you leave your unaligned job what you dislike about your current job.
Think about your current job. What do you dislike? Is it management, work tasks, colleagues, work pace, commute, or the department? If you don’t stop and ask yourself these key questions, you increase the chances of finding yourself in a different job and realizing you are also feeling unaligned in that job.
It is important to ask yourself the specifics of why you are unhappy in your current job. Getting clarity on this will help you audit another role or company as you carry out your job search and interview process in order to break that cycle and feel more aligned in your new role.
The third thing you need to know before you leave your unaligned job is your non-negotiable values.
Your values are your core beliefs. The truths that drive you. What is important to you and guides your decision-making. When it comes to work, non-negotiable values are your specific values that cannot be violated under any circumstances or you will be unhappy. Work will not always meet all your expectations, but you need to have boundaries.
Some examples of non-negotiables– diversity, compensation, integrity, honesty, or spirituality. Think about the times at your current role where you were offended. What line was crossed? Being clear on your non-negotiable values before you leave your unaligned job serves as a guide to determine if a certain job or industry will be a right fit for you.
Your zone of genius interest areas refers to topics, ideas or concepts that engage you. You find yourself completely engaged in the work you are doing when you operate within these interest areas. Knowing your zone of genius interest areas will determine if you are engaged and motivated by the work you are doing. Therefore, you feel aligned and fulfilled in your work.
If the job in some capacity is of little interest to you, you will feel disjointed and unmotivated. You will feel like you are just going through the motions day in and day out. You might ask yourself why you are even there? Find your zone of genius, and you will find that you are engaged and have more energy at work.
Side note: a lot of people are trying to find their passion. But passion is not a set of keys to find. Passion is an intense desire, and intense interest in something. Your passion comes from your interests. If you are unclear about what your interests are, how can you unlock your passion?
The more time you spend on an interest, the more you unlock your passion. Your interests are seeds, and the ones that you nourish will flourish into the plant– your passion.
If you are trying to find your passion, you are going to be looking for a long time. It doesn’t drop into your lap.It comes from being actively in action with your interests. So I encourage you to find your zone of genius interest areas before leaving your unaligned job.
The next thing you need to know before you leave your unaligned job is your high power transferable skills. In order to articulate your transferable skills, you must first identify what your high-power transferable skills are. These are skills you have in one space that can transfer into other spaces. However, having the skills doesn’t necessarily mean you enjoy them. High-power skills are the skills that we enjoy. Not all skills we have are high-power skills, because if we do anything for enough time, we will be good at it, but it doesn’t always light us up.
Once you are clear on what your high-power transferable skills are, the next step is articulating those skills. If you are trying to change your industry, it is important you can articulate what your high-power transferable skills are. During your search and interview process, you need to be able to paint a picture of your skillset and how they transfer into this new role.
Before you leave your unaligned job, you need to identify your transition plan. Scrolling through LinkedIn late at night is not a plan! When you decide you are ready to leave your job, pause and think about what your plan is.
Things to consider – what will finances look like? What is my timeline? Will I need to acquire any additional skills before applying to my next job? The average job search takes 3-6 months, and if you are transitioning industries, the timeline may even be longer. So having a plan will help you be successful in this transition.
Once you have identified the plan, think about how to execute that plan. Do you need to budget differently? Get a bridge job to help financially while searching for the next job? Work on skill gaps? When you have determined HOW to execute the plan, I recommend placing deadlines next to these steps of your plan to avoid transition fatigue through this process.
If you have a solid plan and know how to execute it, you know you will follow the plan. You won’t find yourself overthinking about what you need to do.
Let’s recap why these things are important to know before you leave your unaligned job. These 6 things help you audit companies better. When you are clear on your values, interests and high-power transferable skills, it makes it much easier to evaluate a role and determine if it is a good fit for you.
Having clarity increases your chances of ending up in an aligned role and limits your chances of falling into a dissatisfaction cycle. Clarity also gives you the ability to position yourself as an expert.
If you are looking to transition away from an unaligned role, you will need to communicate your skillset and your value-add, which you will succeed in if you have clarity. Clarity allows you to know who you are and how you work. That will help you find a job where you are well aligned. So be sure to take note of these 6 steps before leaving your unaligned job, and listen to the full episode to get a deeper understanding into each step.
If you are looking to change your career, but aren’t quite sure what that change is going to be yet, then my program, Find Your Fulfilling Career, is perfect for you. Inside my course, I help you find the clarity you need to find the work that fulfills you most. If you want to learn more, visit Find Your Fulfilling Career to see how this signature coaching program for women can help you exit your soul-sucking job and transition into a more fulfilling career without getting another degree!
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