Scott Porad

The post I wrote about quitting your job is one of the most popular I’ve ever written in this space.

I’ve received e-mails from a few people about the post, and some of the things they wrote scared me.  My goodness, I’m telling all these people to quit…I feel sort of responsible for that.

Of course, I’m not responsible: they’re adults and make their own decisions.  But, what if they quit based on my advice, and can’t find a job, and go broke and homeless.  That’s a lot of weight to carry around, so I feel compelled to write this follow up.

The very most important thing to note about my friend Mark was that he had a financial backstop: it was his wife.   Because she was employed and could support them completely, his family was not going to go broke and homeless.

Take that lesson to heart: only quit your job if you have a financial backstop that is very deep.  If you have only 3 months of cash in savings, I’d say you probably shouldn’t just go quit your job.  If you have 12 months…well, maybe, that’s up to you, but I’d say it’s borderline.

Now, let’s say you don’t have the financial backstop: that doesn’t mean you can’t start looking for a new job.  As I’ve written before, change doesn’t happen by itself.

So, take that first step: update your resume and apply for a new job.  That doesn’t mean you have to take the job if offered, or even go to the interview if invited.  It’s just the first step on a long journey, nothing more, nothing less.

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