Joining the Great Resignation

Getting ready to quit your job?

So, You want to join the Great Resignation. 

You’re getting screwed at work (who isn’t?). 

You enjoy working remotely, and you’ll never return to the office. 

You realized your mortality in the face of the Great Pandemic and the irreversible reality of Climate Change, and you’re looking for a new emphasis in life. 

What’s sad is that nothing can happen when the cash flow dries up. Better-paying jobs are available, and it might be time to go after one of them. In truth, the people leave because they’re making really pissy wages, or some sad salary arrangement with their employer annoys them, and they live and breathe work. Yes, it’s true! If you want to know about greener pastures on the other side of the fence, read on!

In fact, the resignation virus isn’t infecting people with really great jobs. Everybody gets sick of work, regardless of what they’re doing, and moving on is not the exclusive domain of leafy workers (green-collar employees), but who’s going to give up a great job. So, if your job sucks, let me offer the steps you should take to join the Great Resignation: 

Use Keywords in Your Resume

Otherwise known as “power words,” keywords are of vital importance on your resume. They act as persuaders, leading your prospective employers to consider hiring you. Contrarily, you shouldn’t just use keywords to describe your value to the company. It’s better to reinvent yourself. Understand what keywords relate to the job you’re applying for, and find suitable matches to put in your keyword search. In other words, tailor the keywords in your resume to match up with the position you’re applying for.

Social Media and the Great Resignation

While it’s not a good idea to post several times on social media sites, posting once a day minimum is probably a good idea. Add a photo or video, and get ahead of comments about your stuff, responding to everything in sight. Change the physical look of your social media with new images and different takes on subjects that you value. People want a reason to follow you, so give them one. Use your discriminating sensibilities to follow people and develop new friends.

You might also want to subscribe to a social media guru who will send you a weekly email newsletter about the goings-on in the social media world. Keeping up with social media will pay off down the road. Podcasts from similar sources are also a great way to keep up while working out or otherwise multi-tasking. If you get your news from YouTube, you’re probably aware of social media YouTube channels. It’s often the best way to keep up with what’s currently going on in social media.

The Great Resignation and Contacts and References

It’s not a good idea to lose track of contacts and references. Simple maintenance can usually suffice in keeping those people close enough to keep them in your circle. In truth, you can schedule the maintenance of contacts and references with a simple organizer and then look for opportunities to reach out to them. When a connection should get a note from you of thank you, etc., make sure it happens.

If you’ve been neglecting contacts and references, maybe it’s time to reach out to some new ones. Print up a personal or business card and carry the cards in your purse and when appropriate, offer someone your card. Budding friendships are the most appropriate place to do this, regardless of whether social friends or work friends. Forge a friendship with a supervisor or boss if they’re open to friendly overtures. As a subordinate, there’s nothing wrong with showing how open-fisted you are, even if you display it in gossiping. Concern for the possible harm done to work-related things or people will usually get a response from others who share the same world.

Join the Great Resignation: Re-evaluate Your Career Goals

Always trend up, in job satisfaction, responsibilities and money reward. You may want to work less, but you should not get paid less for the time you spend on the job. To understand your growth since your last career self-evaluation, consider the tasks you found the most rewarding and satisfying, things you felt terrific about accomplishing. These tasks are pointers for you when considering your career moving forward.

Keep your eye open for the job you really want to do. Obviously, the best position to be in when changing directions is at a job where you’re functioning well, and the cash flow is good. Eye-balling a different job is then a luxury you can enjoy indulging in. Make sure to use a checklist to process each potential employment position, and that will keep your focus on the job you really want to do in the future. Your desire to do the job is hardly a deficit, and it should help you argue with your future employer to meet your pay demands. Make sure your needs are in line with where the industry is at,

Though you may have outgrown your job, use your current task and accomplishments as a springboard to the next plateau of tasks and responsibilities. It should not be hard for you to argue that your past experiences have contributed to your belief that the time is now for you to accept the new responsibilities.

This article was originally published in the Winter months of 2022 and has been slightly revised.

Cover Photo: George Pagan/Unsplash

If you liked this blog, please sign up for the newsletter below!]