When it’s time to move on from a job

A.K.A. Hearing the mic drop on your current job.

It was my first job out of college. I had been working for two years at a specialty advertising company (think: imprinted pens, pencils, caps, calendars). I was the communications manager, writing newsletters for a variety of audiences. One day I wrote a guest column for an industry magazine, and in it I talked about how specialty advertising is everywhere. “It’s pervasive,” I wrote.

It was early in my career, and my boss reviewed all my copy. Which was as it should be. And he wasn’t a heavy-handed editor. On this particular day, he had just one question about my guest column. “This word right here,” he said. “Pervasive. I don’t know what that means. I looked it up, and I’m still not sure what it means. Did you mean ‘persuasive’?”

Hmmm. Well, no, pervasive and persuasive are very different words (despite sounding similar). But I thought, “OK. My intent isn’t clear here. Maybe there is a better word.” So I took my printout with his red circled “pervasive” mark and went back to my office to find a better word.

Except there wasn’t a better word. The more I explored the options, the more I realized that “pervasive” was exactly the right word. Perfect. Succinct. Descriptive.

To be honest, I can’t remember if I changed my story before I sent it to the industry magazine’s editor. What I do remember is that shortly after that I realized that I had learned everything I could from my boss. If I had wanted to stay in specialty advertising, he would undoubtedly have been a good mentor or been able to connect me with appropriate mentors. But as a writer, editor, communicator … I had learned all I could from him. 

Within a few weeks I had started actively searching for my next position. And when, in an interview, one potential new boss used the word “pervasive,” I knew that moving on from my current job as the right decision.

I wasn’t hired by the guy who knew that word. But he referred me to the woman who had just left his organization—because SHE was also hiring for a new staff. And that was my next career stepping-stone, working for her.

Resigning from my first job out of college was one of the hardest things I have ever done (more about that here). But leaving was a good lesson for me. When I’m done learning in a role, it’s time to move on.

That might be one signal for you, too.