Leaving A Job Without A New One Lined Up? 5 Times It Makes Sense
Workers are growing more cautious. An analysis of 33,000 cover letters created on the MyPerfectResume platform shows that, compared to last year, job seekers are 70% less likely to leave a role before starting a job search. That still leaves 30% who quit their job before finding a new one.
There are definitely advantages to waiting till you have a new job before quitting your old one. It's less of a financial risk since you don't have a gap in your paycheck. It's less of an emotional burden since you don't have a gap in identity from employed to unemployed. It's arguably less taxing mentally and physically since you don't have a gap in routine.
However, sometimes jumping without a net is a reasonable choice. If you're weighing whether to leave a job without a new one lined up, here are five times when it actually makes sense:
If your health is suffering from burnout or workplace bullying, then quitting for your own self-preservation could be the smartest move. Try first to get help from HR, your company Employee Assistance Plan hotline, and/ or a mentor to improve the situation. Check if you can arrange a sabbatical or qualify for short-term disability, which gives you options to return. See if your accrued vacation days gives you enough time off to recover. However, if you've already tried this and your situation hasn't improved, prioritizing your health is definitely a good enough reason to quit your job.
When you're at work, you're not wherever else you could be, and that's the opportunity cost of your current job. If you are a working parent and long to be a stay-at-home parent, your child will only be at that age now. If you long to travel, places on your bucket list will change over time (from natural evolution, climate change, overtourism), so depending on what you want to see, you are risking those travel dreams. If you find a strong pull to do something else, and you need time away from any job to fulfill this, then quitting your job without another one might be the optimal choice right now.
The advantages of going immediately from one job to the next are continuous earnings and less disruption to your identity and routine. However, if you have savings or other income outside your job, the drop in earnings may not be an issue for you. If you have clear ideas for what to do next – whether that's knowing exactly how to land a job you love, consulting for a while, or taking on personal passion projects – then you may not even have much of an employment gap to explain.
If your next move could be more lucrative, more fulfilling or otherwise more suitable to you, then quitting your job and investing that energy into what's next may be the best use of your limited time and effort. Maybe you want to start consulting, but it would be a conflict of interest with your current job. Or you want to buy a small business and want to spend your workdays vetting prospects.
Maybe your job was good enough before, but you're different now and ready for a change. You can replenish most resources: the salary you forfeit can be earned back by working extra hours down the road; your skills and expertise can stay updated with project work or volunteering in your field; your professional relationships can be maintained by following up on a regular basis. However, you can't get back time. So, if you're done at your job, be done with it, and allocate your time to something more meaningful.
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Forbes
22-05-2025
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Leaving A Job Without A New One Lined Up? 5 Times It Makes Sense
Workers are growing more cautious. An analysis of 33,000 cover letters created on the MyPerfectResume platform shows that, compared to last year, job seekers are 70% less likely to leave a role before starting a job search. That still leaves 30% who quit their job before finding a new one. There are definitely advantages to waiting till you have a new job before quitting your old one. It's less of a financial risk since you don't have a gap in your paycheck. It's less of an emotional burden since you don't have a gap in identity from employed to unemployed. It's arguably less taxing mentally and physically since you don't have a gap in routine. However, sometimes jumping without a net is a reasonable choice. If you're weighing whether to leave a job without a new one lined up, here are five times when it actually makes sense: If your health is suffering from burnout or workplace bullying, then quitting for your own self-preservation could be the smartest move. Try first to get help from HR, your company Employee Assistance Plan hotline, and/ or a mentor to improve the situation. Check if you can arrange a sabbatical or qualify for short-term disability, which gives you options to return. See if your accrued vacation days gives you enough time off to recover. However, if you've already tried this and your situation hasn't improved, prioritizing your health is definitely a good enough reason to quit your job. When you're at work, you're not wherever else you could be, and that's the opportunity cost of your current job. If you are a working parent and long to be a stay-at-home parent, your child will only be at that age now. If you long to travel, places on your bucket list will change over time (from natural evolution, climate change, overtourism), so depending on what you want to see, you are risking those travel dreams. If you find a strong pull to do something else, and you need time away from any job to fulfill this, then quitting your job without another one might be the optimal choice right now. The advantages of going immediately from one job to the next are continuous earnings and less disruption to your identity and routine. However, if you have savings or other income outside your job, the drop in earnings may not be an issue for you. If you have clear ideas for what to do next – whether that's knowing exactly how to land a job you love, consulting for a while, or taking on personal passion projects – then you may not even have much of an employment gap to explain. If your next move could be more lucrative, more fulfilling or otherwise more suitable to you, then quitting your job and investing that energy into what's next may be the best use of your limited time and effort. Maybe you want to start consulting, but it would be a conflict of interest with your current job. Or you want to buy a small business and want to spend your workdays vetting prospects. Maybe your job was good enough before, but you're different now and ready for a change. You can replenish most resources: the salary you forfeit can be earned back by working extra hours down the road; your skills and expertise can stay updated with project work or volunteering in your field; your professional relationships can be maintained by following up on a regular basis. However, you can't get back time. So, if you're done at your job, be done with it, and allocate your time to something more meaningful.
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Kraig Kleeman, The New Workforce Robert R. Johnson, Creighton University Melanie Musson, Clearsurance Adem Selita, The Debt Relief Company This article originally appeared on Stable Job vs Bigger Paycheck: Which Should You Choose in a Recession? Sign in to access your portfolio
