Navigating career paths is often a journey filled with unexpected twists, introspection, and tough decisions. In early 2022, I found myself at such a crossroad. I had accepted a position in a new field, driven by the allure of new challenges and a significant PAYCHEQUE. However, the reality of the misalignment with my personal needs, strengths, and values soon became apparent, leading me to question if I had made the right choice.
In early 2022, I started a new job in a new field—one I had been eager to try out for years, as far back as when I graduated from university and started working. I knew the role would be a challenge, and while that’s good, I wasn't certain that this should be the main factor driving my choice to take it. I had reservations about the organisation's culture and my potential fit within it right from the start. My apprehensions were confirmed almost immediately after joining—something just didn’t feel right, but it took another month or two for me to muster the courage to decide to leave. Despite generally liking my coworkers and my line manager, the work did not bring me joy, and I felt a profound disconnect with the workplace culture. I was four months in when I knew I wanted to leave, but being only four months in role almost stopped me from quitting—even though I knew this job wasn't right for me. I was at my previous company for seven and a half years and spent roughly one to two years on average in each role. I knew when it was time to leave, even though it was hard because I’d made friends and settled into a routine, but I felt it in my bones. It was time to move on. This time, I had barely finished learning the ropes and this kind of dread and fatigue was settling in.
Confronting the Challenges
I almost didn’t quit—even though I was unhappy, anxious, and regretting my choice (regret isn’t a feeling I am used to sitting with, so this was tough).
Embarrassment: The thought of searching for a new role after just six months was daunting, mainly because of my concerns over how it would be perceived. Essentially, I was worried about the optics. Who leaves a job after 6 months? What does that say about me?
Financial Considerations vs. Job Satisfaction: When I initially accepted this position, another offer was also on the table. The other role offered less financially but was more aligned with my vibe, strengths, and interests. I spent days deliberating over the choice, weighing my options and crowdsourcing advice. In the end, I did what I thought I was supposed to do and chose the higher-paying job, and so, of course, thinking about quitting now and having to potentially forego the money made me question if leaving and potentially taking a pay cut was smart. Who doesn’t like making more money?
The Fear of Starting Over: The prospect of starting over again for the second time in a year—facing the onboarding process, getting acquainted with another team, and having to prove myself once again—was overwhelming. I already had credibility and trust with my new team and our clients—did I want to start over again?
There were some other personal reasons why I chose this job, but these were resolved by the time I started the role.
Health Concerns Amidst Career Transitions
In December 2021, after accepting the new job offer and right before I started the new role, I caught Covid. Covid hit me hard. I was surprised by how sick I was, and while the initial illness only lasted about two weeks, I ended up facing a prolonged recovery period and long Covid. This situation made me even more anxious about my ability to perform in a new role and succeed if I quit this job. Doing it once had been exhausting. Did I have the mental and physical strength to do it all over again?
Turning a New Leaf
I confided in my friends and family about my concerns. The advice I got was mixed. Some people encouraged me to take the plunge and leave the new job if it didn’t feel right. Others said I should wait until I’d worked a year before exiting. Ultimately, I made a decision and shared my intentions to leave the organization with my manager, who was surprised and maybe a little disappointed, but very understanding.
I also reconnected with the recruiter from the previous job offer, who had told me the door was open if I changed my mind, and sheepishly but candidly explained my situation (the new role didn’t feel like the right fit) and expressed my interest in a new opportunity for a similar role to the one I turned down that they had posted. Thankfully, the company was still open to considering me, and we took it from there. A month or so after reaching out to the recruiter, I had a second offer from the company in hand. This time it felt right. The move, while daunting, led to a job switch with a better job and cultural fit and better benefits, but with a significant pay cut, yet it resulted in a much happier and fulfilling work-life balance, including the autonomy to focus on what I excel at—advising others. Whatever vibe or connection I felt was missing in the first role was present in this one. It helped that the subject matter was something I am both personally and professionally interested in
Reflections and Moving Forward
If I had remained paralysed by feelings of helplessness, powerlessness, and embarrassment, I might still be in that bad-fit job, unhappy and anxious, albeit with slightly better pay. But I knew that I would be less happy and healthy. By submitting to fear I was not honouring all of my other feelings about work and the impact it was having on mentally. This experience reminded me of the importance of listening to my own intuition, valuing alignment with personal and professional values over financial gain, and having the courage to start again for personal growth and fulfilment.
Now, almost two years later, I have no regrets. I enjoy my role, my colleagues, the work I’ve done, and the culture that I am part of. I am learning, growing, advising, researching, and helping clients solve big problems in ways that weren’t possible on the other path I was on. Sometimes, people I'm close to joke that the job I am in now was made for me. It’s not always perfect, but it’s almost always good. I am not saying that quitting a job you've just started is always going to be the right decision for you, but sometimes staying isn’t either. In this case, choosing to leave was the right decision.
The main lesson for me is that sometimes, taking the seemingly easier path—by aligning with my natural strengths and values—can lead to the most rewarding outcomes.