It's the beginning of a new year, and it feels like anything is possible! Offering a fresh start, the unwritten pages of 2023 are beckoning to be filled with enriching experiences, heartwarming memories, and accomplished goals by a stronger, wiser, and much-improved you.
One life aspect that we often re-evaluate at this time is our career. After all, the majority of our day is spent on the grind. Not only does it determine what we do for the day; how we feel about it also has a significant link to both our mental and physical health, according to a study.
Aside from the optimism that January brings, previous years in lockdown has also spurred “The Great Resignation,” wherein we saw a spike in the number of employees quitting their jobs. The US alone has seen a record-breaking 4.5 million resignations in November 2021.
Why are more Filipinos resigning from their jobs?
The Executive Director of the Ateneo Center for Organization Research and Development, Dr. Joy Teng-Calleja, PhD, RPsy, CSIO, attributes this to workers going through a reflective period that questions both professional and personal fulfillment. She tells Preview that although similar attitudes are also reflected in Filipino employees, our numbers are not as high as our Western counterparts. While resignation may be rampant, it remains targeted to specific employee age groups and industries that may have been overly fatigued (ie: food and beverage).
Not surprisingly, younger Filipino white-collar workers are more likely to be considering their options as they most probably do not have dependents yet, according to Dr. Joy. Having no other mouth to feed gives leeway to pursue other passions. Plus, the younger generations' tech savvy is also highly suited for the growing income-generating opportunities available online. Examples of which include: virtual positions, cryptocurrency, NFTs, and digital marketplaces.
The realization that work can be done outside the traditional office setting also makes previously accepted norms such as traffic-filled commutes and long, inflexible working hours questionable. “Participants [from the Ateneo CORD's study of 111 Filipino workers] realized that [the] work-from-home [set-up] can work and that there are technologically enabled processes that can help them produce output,” she expounds further.
But before you send your boss your notice, Dr. Joy asks: “Have you gone through career planning?” This is the process you reflect and strategize on the alignment of interests, goals, and opportunities that build into the career you want. A goal-setting of sorts, you consider the big picture, and plan and tweak accordingly. After all, it may be the company and not the job that you are not suited for, and vice versa.
What can you do?
“Persons perform best and will be most satisfied when there’s a match between themselves and the job,” Dr. Joy explains, citing that job fit will depend if the employee's competencies, preferences, and values align with the responsibilities, resources, and demands of the position.
If you have been feeling dissatisfied, she suggests you first pinpoint where this is stremming from. If this is a concern that can be addressed within your current employment (ie: workload, reporting hours, department you are in), she suggests first trying to talk to your superior. But if upon reflection you realize that there is a disconnect between your long-term goals and where you are currently, and there are opportunities available outside, then what are you waiting for?
"If the opportunities align with who you are and what you stand for, it doesn’t matter if it’s your first career change or your 10th,“ she says, encouraging regular career discernment.
At the end of the day, pandemic or not, there are no hard and fast rules on whether you should resign or not. It will greatly depend on who you are as a person and what your aspirations are for the future. If this feels daunting, let Dr. Joy Calleja-Teng guide you through the discernment process. Read on for her advise below.
5 Things You Should Consider Before Quitting Your Job, According to an Expert Psychologist
1. Your Skillset
You have to be honest and assess what are you good at in order to deliver what your dream role requires. A good follow up question to ask is, "What are my favorite skills?" You can be good at a lot of things, but what excites you? Are you able to use that in your current job?
2. Your Interests
You know how they say "do what you love, and you' ll never have to work a single day of your life?" While it's still work, it helps that you're doings something you actually wouldn't mind doing on a normal day. The Ateneo CORD recommends taking the RIASEC Test as it will give insight to your occupational interests and provide industry and job matches, too.
3. Your Values
It will be difficult for someone to carry out an occupation that goes against their values. As Dr. Joy says, it's a reflection of you are. Either you will not perform up to par as you do not believe in the cause, or your wellbeing will suffer as you go against what is important to you. These values will also shape the legacy you want to leave the future so it's best to align as early as now.
4. Your Preferred Work Environment
The traditional work model was already getting a shake up before it was rocked by the pandemic. With options to choose from, Dr. Joy recommends to determine beforehand what kind of environment you want to work in. Would you prefer being mobile like a digital nomad, or do you like the routine of officework? Knowing these will help streamline your search.
5. Your Personality
Suffice it to say, your temperament will also play a big part on how easily you can adapt to any job. An extrovert will feel much more comfortable in a client-facing role, for example and will take less time to warm up. The good news is that personality is not static and it can change over time. You can check your personality type (Dr. Joy recommends the MBTI Test) as a jump-off point, to give an overview of your dominant attitudes and predispositions.
We’re rooting for you!
For more information, you may visit Ateneo CORD’s official Facebook or send them an email.
Hey, Preview readers! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Tiktok, and Twitter to stay up to speed on all things trendy and creative. We’ll curate the most stylish feed for you!
