The other day, I was rummaging through my DVD collection and came across a few of my James Bond box sets. Having nothing else to really do at the time, I proceeded to have a mini-marathon of Cold War-era spy goodness. And during this time, I noticed a trend with the Bond villains: they were one of two types when it came to their plots, schemes, and attempts to kill Agent 007.
Some of the villains would leave too early; they would assume that things went to plan, and would go about their nefarious schemes, leaving Bond time to escape and defeat them (best summarized by Dr. Evil in the first Austin Powers), while others would hang around for too long, becoming distracted and embroiled in torturing Bond enough so that they would slip up and lose to the titular hero. In both cases, the villains were missing one vital ingredient in their plans: having a solid exit strategy.
In super-villainy, as in life, one must know when it’s time to leave.
Much has been said about how loyalty isn’t what it used to be. Gone are the days of the gold watch and the plaque commemorating 50 years of service to a company. Employee retention rates are low, with turnover rates that might have seemed unfathomable to our grandparents, or even our parents. But with the evolving structure of the workplace and the capricious economy, one must be prepared to move on as necessary.
The reasons for leaving a company are the same reasons that would attract someone to work there in the first place: professional growth, gaining experience and skills, increased pay, good location, preferable hours, a solid benefits package and nice co-workers are all factors in the decision. But regardless of whether you are complacent or restless with your current employer, you must have an exit strategy prepared.
Maybe you want to start a company, turn a hobby into a career, or want to set out on an adventure. Whatever it is that you want to do with your life, plan it out! Find a way to achieve those goals before you’ve compromised your motivations and driving principles to become a soulless automaton who works a 9-5 with no life or hopes or dreams beyond the office. A good way to get on the right path is to see what other professional options you have.
It helps to gauge your preparedness for anything from sudden unemployment to unforeseen circumstances to wanderlust or any other cause that might leave you jobless by sending out a few job applications every once in a while, even if you have a job. In this way, you can gauge the “buying temperature” for you and your skills with other companies, and can find out what you need to do to keep yourself competitive and at the top of your game around your own office. You don’t need to always be looking for a new job, but it’s a good idea to see how you’d fare as a job-seeker. Plus, this helps to keep your resumé up to date.*
If a company or recruiter approaches you, however, it may be worth your time to weigh the pros and cons of the decision. Does it benefit you more to take the new offer or stay where you are? If the decision isn’t an easy one to make, talk to your manager or HR rep about what you’ve been offered – sometimes, this can work as leverage for a raise or promotion that you didn’t know you could get.
But if you hate going to work every day, dread your life, and find yourself depressed and miserable, don’t hesitate to try something new. The grass might not be greener, but isn’t it worth your well-being and sanity to give it a shot? If you think you should go, go!
Some people have an open-ended exit plan: when they feel like it’s time to leave, they just go for it, without preparing or testing the waters for another career possibility. Sometimes, this risk can pay off. But if you’re thinking about jumping without a net, make sure you’ve got enough money saved up (a financial parachute, if you will) to float you for a few months while you fly by the seat of your pants. A couple extra months of humdrum work for a solid paycheck could save you years of bills and loan payments.
Any business plan worth its salt will have an exit plan, too. The entrepreneurs behind it know that the market is a fickle place, and being prepared to get while the getting’s good is the key to real success. No one is guaranteed to stay anywhere forever; even if you only consider what you might do in the case of an exit, it’s worth your time.
When it comes to making the exit itself, it’s best to leave on a high and positive note; you never know when or how your experiences might come back to help or hurt you. But if you must go the dramatic route, make sure that you have your work done. No one likes the douchey jackass who leaves a mess for the next guy to clean up, or the idiot who wears out their welcome. Say your piece and move on; you have another step to take, and there’s no sense in prolonging it.
Whether you’re looking to move up the corporate ladder, fulfill a lifelong dream, or eliminate a British super-spy who’s trying to stop your moon laser from firing, it’s always a good idea to have a backup plan and an exit strategy. All it takes is a decent sense of timing to save a world-conquering genius from becoming a failed megalomaniac hoisted by their own petard (or exploding island), and that’s all it takes to make an unhappy employee into a professional success.
*I hope this goes without saying, but don’t put your boss or co-workers as references. The only thing that will do is speed up the necessity for finding a new job.
