Ok. Ok. Hear me out. I started working as a cashier within a certain multi-billion dollar pharmacy store chain company in May 2019.
My initial reasoning to start working there was due to timing. I was still in school and needed to fill my schedule so it was perfect (at the time). I like my co-workers and whenever it wasn’t busy, we had interesting conversations. The work itself was another story. As a cashier, I got bored of the duties fairly quickly. I quickly learned that I can’t stand still for long periods of time.
I been there for over a year and in that time, I graduated college after a few months and even got promoted as a shift lead during the peak of 1st wave COVID. Some of you are thinking:
Ok yes, I got lucky. While millions of people were turning to unemployment, I should of been counting my blessings. On the one hand, I received a raise and can move more freely around the store. However, what I didn’t expect was the way the company slowly added more and more responsibilities on shift leads. Now, I was expected to do the jobs of 4 people excluding my own. I had to worry about the tills, managing other people, providing customer service with a smile, dealing with vendors are some of the usual SL duties. Oh, did I mention that we had to clean the bathrooms while in the middle of Covid?
Yeah, Gross.
Being a shift lead also meant much more responsibilities but as time went on, more and more work got piled on SL’s plates.
It would be especially stressful during shifts where I shoulder the burdens of both mine and other co-worker’s duties, if they were not trained in certain areas like the photo department. The store didn’t have a photo specialist on hand so all workers had to learn the utilize the photo printers and take passport pictures. Problem was most workers were part-timers so they would end up forgetting how to do things. Annoying.
Most of all, the company just expected too much for little pay store workers have to deal with.
I only stayed due to my fear of not being able to find another job. The job market was slow so I took the increased pay and still job search, periodically. As months went by and Covid still revamp, I realized that I don’t have to stay somewhere I have to drag myself to every shift and worry about if I’ll have enough time for a full break.
Now, it’s time to examine the real valid reasons you should quit.
1.You’re tried of the routine / no longer care for the job
You been at your current occupation for a while and the tasks are feeling a bit tedious. Sometimes, it may be a pure sign of a burnout. You probably reached a point where you no longer want to work harder / perform at your very best. In that case, yes I highly recommend looking for another job.
2. Feelings of underappreciation
You been working for a position where you perform well but neither your co-workers or boss appreciate your efforts.
3. Non-existent work-life balance
This was one of my reasons to quit. Work shouldn’t be your whole life and that was what I personally my job was slowly becoming. Sorry, not wasting my 20s working somewhere I absolutely hate.
4. Your health is decreasing
Sometimes, the endless days of boring tasks and meaningful duties are causing your physical and/or mental health to be jeopardized then it’s definitely time to go. No job is worth neglecting your health, ever.
5. You found work somewhere else with better pay
This is very obvious, if you been job searching and gone through the interview process and accepted a job offer. Yup, its time to write your 2 week notice, if you haven’t given one yet.
Happy to report that I quit and let me tell you, it feels liberating! Not everyone can say that, some might feel defeated, others indifferent depending on your own situation.
*Advice: Don’t be scared of the unknown. It might cause you to stay somewhere you don’t wanna be.
No matter what you initially feel at this moment, if you can relate to any or all of these reasons then it’s time to move on.
