Happy Bosses Day! Time to Quit Your Job.
National Bosses Day was last Friday. And, if you’re like most people, you got your boss a plant, took them out to lunch, or maybe just sent a friendly e-mail thanking them for everything they do. From the outside, it probably looked fairly routine.
But, in reality, did you do these nice things because you have an awesome boss who you adore? No. Chances are, you would be happier at your job if you never had to see your boss again. You probably just participated in Bosses Day so you wouldn’t be in the doghouse with your boss, or your coworkers. It was social pressure more than anything else; another “Hallmark Holiday” as they say.
Did you know that bad bosses are the number one reason we quit our jobs? It’s true!
I’ve noticed this trend in many, many of the clients I work with. When I ask what’s motivating them to want to leave their current company, they rarely say it’s a lack of money or vacation or anything else. At least 80% of the time, they start off with how unhappy they are with their terrible boss.
Forbes made an interesting point about this very issue. Author Eric Jackson said, “…you would probably be surprised to know that more Americans are quitting their jobs today than at any point in the past 4 years. In March (2014), 2.475 million Americans quit their jobs. This has been steadily increasing recently from a low in late 2009 (just after the financial collapse finally bottomed out) from a monthly rate of 1.7 million quits a month.”
This means that even though our economy is still struggling, you have had enough. You’re ready to take a chance, even if it feels scary. And, you don’t want to deal with that terrible boss for one more Bosses Day, or any other day for that matter.
Jackson cites that some of the reasons people dislike their bosses are:
- They overload their best people with too many responsibilities
- They’re micro-managers
- They’re never around
- They’re not in touch with how some of their hires or promotions are driving their best people nuts
- They’ve never given their people a sense of where they can go in their careers
- They run terrible meetings
- They communicate that they care more about themselves than the team
- They never give the team a big picture vision of where their group is heading or they are constantly changing the big picture
Does this sound familiar? Does your boss drive you crazy for one (or possibly eight) of these reasons?
If so, the time to start on your job search is now. Do it while you still have good footing at your current job, so you’ll have more control over selecting a new one that you like.
The thing you should take away from this experience is this: your boss really does matter. There is almost nobody (other than you) who can influence your career so much. They can give you a raise or a promotion. They can pay to send you for continuing education. And, they can give you a pay cut, a demotion, or even fire you.
When you interview at a company, try to think of yourself as interviewing your boss as much as they interview you. Will they be supportive? Will they want to compete with you? Are they someone you could spend eight hours a day with?
Finding a good boss will help to guarantee that your next experience is a positive one!
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
