Now before you make any rash judgments with what you just read, let me finish the statement by saying until you know you've exhausted all your efforts to explore all opportunities within the company.
That being said, opportunities do not just entail switching roles or looking for possible promotions. By opportunities, I mean, taking each challenge that you encounter as a chance to understand people more and to understand yourself more. More often than not, the temptation of leaving a company because a lot of people piss you off is very high. The allure of knowing you can get paid more in a different employment situation can easily drag you away from an opportunity within your company to better yourself. I know, understanding others takes a lot of patience and humility; but if you try to shift your perspective into being more optimistic about the challenges thrown at you, your hard work will sooner or later pay off.
I got this inspiration from a question thrown in tonight's Top Talent Launch, held at the Meralco Theater. Someone asked our speakers if they had been tempted to leave IBM, and what made them stay.
Candy Sotto admitted that she wanted to leave IBM -- twice. Dod Peralta didn't necessarily want to leave, but became unhappy with his role once. The other speaker (whom I forgot the name; I couldn't see her name on the screen, my eyesight has gone from bad to worse) also wanted to leave once because of her manager.
An answer from Dod Peralta struck me, and quickly inspired me to shift my perspective: "You don't leave by avoiding something; you leave by going for something you want". Leaving your current role CAN be a solution, just as long as you know you've exhausted all possible ways on how to solve your issue(s). However, leaving a company does not necessarily mean you've escaped whatever it is that you're trying to avoid. There is still a high risk of experiencing the same problem in your next job, but will probably be presented in a different type of environment or setting. Bottom line is: there isn't such a thing called a perfect job. Even though you are 100% passionate about what you do, some people will always make it difficult for you, whether you are excelling or not. We will always encounter hurdles in whatever line of work we choose to immerse ourselves in; it is in one's perspective, attitude, and mindset that sets each individual apart from everyone else.
If your manager is pissing you off, I know it's better said than done, but why not go through the proper channel and air out your grievances? If a colleague is giving you a hard time, why not go and confront the person in a professional manner? Before you give up on something that's not even potentially destructive, try to find ways in order for you to grow. Being able to handle such types of challenges will certainly upgrade your maturity level without you realizing it; otherwise, escapism will only lead to band-aid solutions.
Admittedly, I've been tempted to leave my job, and my medical benefits were the only things keeping me from resigning. However, upon much thought and discernment, I told myself that I wanted to make sure I've done my very best here before I look for opportunities elsewhere. I'm blessed that I don't have managers who yell at me or curse me or ask me to do overtime work or treat me as a slave driver. I'm blessed that I don't have colleagues who molest me or who blackmail me and ask me to do compromising actions in the office. Some people have undergone worse situations, and when I really think about it, most of the problems I've encountered were only minor setbacks to distract me from achieving my goals.
I think it's normal to question your career at some point in your employment history - it's OKAY. There is nothing wrong about thinking about your future and if you're completely wasting your time in a company; but just make sure that those thoughts don't cloud your judgment, and don't lead you to believe that what you're currently doing is nonsense and is not worth fighting for. Try not to be emotional, and ensure that you are in a right state of mind before making any decisions. Remember, we are not getting any younger, and having a job nowadays has become a luxury rather than an obligation.
Of course, being a slave driver to a company that doesn't treat you well is another story. When you know you're dragging yourself to work no matter how hard you try to shift your perspective may just be your go signal to start looking for opportunities elsewhere. Work is never easy, but it shouldn't have to make you feel depressed or demoralized.
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