Quiz: Is it time to quit your job?

By Debra Auerbach, 

If you're unhappy at your job, thoughts of shouting, "I quit!" and running for the door have likely crossed your mind. Yet such a drastic decision isn't easy and shouldn't be made in haste.

So, how do you know if you're just having a bad day or if you're truly ready to resign? Or are you on the other end of the spectrum and love your job a little too much for your own good? Take this quiz to find out where you fall:

1. It's Sunday night. What's your mindset?
A. You're glad the weekend is over -- time to get back to work and use your brain again.
B. You had a good weekend, but now it's time to focus on what you need to do for the week ahead.
C. It's Sunday already? Back to the daily grind.
D. You have a pit in your stomach and feel physically ill about the idea of going to work. 

2. What is it about your job you don't like?
A. Nothing -- it's perfect.
B. You have to work overtime every once in awhile, and you wish you had more vacation days.
C. You feel bored and unchallenged.
D. Everything -- your boss, your colleagues, your role, the way the company is run -- you could go on and on.

3. It's performance review time, and you're about to find out whether you got a promotion. What's running through your mind?
A. You're excited and confident. You know you got the promotion. After all, you'll be running the company one day.
B. You're a mix of nervous and excited. You hope you got it, but you're interested in hearing your boss's feedback.
C. You're indifferent. If you get it, great; if not, whatever.
D. You're dreading the conversation. You're hoping you didn't get a promotion, because you have no desire to take on more responsibility and feel committed to the company for much longer.

4. When you have a bad day at work, you:
A. Wouldn't know the feeling. What's it like to have a bad day?
B. Find ways to relieve stress, such as exercise, shopping or going out with friends.
C. Go home, turn off your phone, pour a glass of wine and watch TV.
D. Pick a fight with your spouse or partner. 

5. How would you describe your health?
A. Overall pretty good. But you don't get to exercise that much, because that's precious time you could be working and proving to your boss that you're totally committed to the job.
B. Healthy. You have good work/life balance and find time to eat well and exercise.
C. So-so. You try to work out every once in awhile but don't always feel motivated.
D. Not great. You aren't sleeping well, you're constantly having headaches, and you're often agitated.

6. In five years, you see yourself:
A. Being in a leadership role within the company. There's no other option.
B. In a managerial role, assuming it's the right fit.
C. You're not sure. Maybe you'll still be working at the same company or maybe you won't.
D. No longer at the company, and no longer doing what you're doing.

7. When you have to talk to your boss about a tough or sensitive topic, how do you typically feel?
A. Good. You have a great relationship with your boss. In fact, she's your best friend.
B. Fine. Tough conversations are never fun, but they're part of life, and you know you and your boss will work through it together.
C. Annoyed. You try to avoid talking to your boss -- or anyone, for that matter -- as much as possible.
D. Scared. You're afraid your boss will start berating you and making you feel like you failed. That's usually how these conversations go. 

8. When a friend asks you how things are going at work, you respond:
A. "Perfect! I love work and wish it were seven days a week."
B. "Work is good. I'm working on an interesting project right now."
C. "Same old; nothing new to report. Although yesterday I did win a game of Facebook Scrabble that I played with my cube mate."
D. "I don't want to talk about it." 

9. How would you describe your company?
A. The best place to work in the world.
B. Good culture, good benefits, smart people.
C. It's fine. It's a place to work.
D. A terrible place to work. All leadership cares about is making money, no matter how overworked, underpaid and miserable their employees are. 

10. You have a client meeting. How are you feeling?
A. You can't wait. You've been up all night preparing.
B. You feel prepared and think it's going to be a good meeting.
C. Ugh. Another meeting with the same client, talking about the same things.
D. Sick to your stomach. It's not that you aren't prepared, but how do you convince your client if you don't even believe in what you're talking about?

Results

Mostly A's: You love your job -- maybe too much. There's nothing wrong with loving what you do. But if work is taking over your life -- because you choose for it to, not because you're forced to make it that way -- you may be making sacrifices in other areas, such as relationships and health. Being motivated is honorable and should be commended, but are you allowing yourself to enjoy the fruits of your labor? And while it's OK to be friendly with your boss, if your only friends are your co-workers, you might want to get out more. Having a work/life balance is healthy, and while you should never feel guilty for wanting to succeed, you should also never feel guilty about wanting to take a break and live life outside of work. 

Mostly B's: Congratulations! You have a job that you enjoy and you have achieved healthy work/life balance. You're motivated and work hard, but you're pretty good about not taking work home with you. Yes, there are times where you get stressed out or frustrated about something, but the positives of your job outweigh any negatives. You also have a friendly, but professional, working relationship with your boss and co-workers. You can speak openly with them about any issues and you can work together to solve them. You also likely have a clear idea of what career path you want to take. You see yourself continuing to move up within the company, but you're open to whatever the future holds.

Mostly C's: You likely have a general attitude of indifference toward your job. Your work doesn't really challenge you anymore, and you may feel as if your career is stalled. You go to work every day and do what you need to do to get the work done, but you don't care enough to go above and beyond. To get out of this work rut, it may be time to explore other opportunities. Before moving on, look first for opportunities within your company. Take on additional projects, ask your boss for different responsibilities, or undergo training courses. Or consider the possibility of transitioning to a different role within your company. Try to get back to a place where work excites you again.

Mostly D's: If you fall into this category, you may want to consider whether it's time to make a change. While it's normal to not want a weekend to end, it's not normal to feel an overwhelming sense of dread or anxiety. Whenever you have a bad day, which at this point is pretty often, instead of finding healthy ways to relieve your stress, you take it out on your family or friends. And heaven forbid anyone were to ask you about work -- if they even get an answer out of you, it's likely along the lines of, "It's terrible, I hate everyone there, and my boss is a monster." Constantly feeling stressed, overwhelmed and miserable will eventually harm your health. And when you've gotten to a point where work makes you physically ill, you need to re-evaluate your situation. Honestly assess what makes you unhappy about your job, and either do something to change it or find another place to work where you feel happy, healthy and fulfilled. 

Source: careerbuilder