I hear testimonies all the time from people who quit their jobs, and in the vast majority of cases I feel for the person because, with all the frustrations and weight of "enough is enough" on their shoulders, they are not prepared for what comes next. What's worse is that, having endured the emotional distress that drove them to their decision, they find themselves with little or no real support in re-establishing their career.

One man was referred to me recently who had spent twenty five years in a low level manual position with a not-for-profit organization. The nature of this company saw supervisor turnover about once a year, and so in all his time, this man had never had a formal performance review. His latest boss decided it was finally time to appraise him, and he went around the company to ask for opinions. What he got was twenty five years worth of issues that nobody had dealt with before. The supervisor, short on people skills, met with the employee and presented him with a multi-page letter listing of things that must be corrected, and setting up a review schedule every three weeks. Finally the letter said he would be terminated if satisfactory improvement was not demonstrated.

Management's "enough is enough" approach infuriated the employee so much that he quit. The point is that this vulnerable and uneducated man, less than three years away from retirement, put himself on the street with few prospects of gainful employment. Even if management was guilty of constructive dismissal, chances are that the employee will not pursue his case in the courts.

The lesson: when you start to feel that enough is enough and you can't take it any more, don't quit until you have prepared yourself, or better, until you have found another job. There is just too much downside to simply quitting.

What few understand is that the job market is much more sophisticated than it has ever been before. The manufacturing sector in western economies in particular is shrinking dramatically, and as each cycle passes the need for different skills, or lack of them, become a key variable. The world of work is in constant flux, and unskilled labor is less in demand than ever.

There's an old proverb that says "Look before you leap" and that has never been truer than today for anyone on the verge of walking out the door.

At the other end of the scale are people whose skills are in great demand and who are so confident in themselves that they regularly change jobs. The quest for higher and better drives then to keep their names in the market, virtually from the day they start with a new employer. But things are changing for these folks as well. More companies are aware of the track record when they hire a hopper, and they just as easily lay people off as hire someone new. Company needs are much more narrowly defined, with fewer hiring for the longer term. This market is very dynamic yet very unstable.

The lesson: What goes around comes around. I have a friend who peddled himself from company to company, five over a six year period, but now he has been unemployed for nine months. He quit as he had done so many times before, only this time it's the market that's saying enough is enough.

It makes more sense, particularly in a down economy, to examine ways to stay with an employer, unless the conditions are unbearable. Analyze the situation, look for resolution to problems, and look elsewhere in the company for other opportunities. Consider all of the options in making a final decision, but above all, don't simply jump ship and put yourself in a worse position than you are in now.

Learn more about this author, Ian Buchanan.
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