"I'm unhappy at work and want to quit, but I don't know what I want to do next. What should I do?"

This article is the 114th original piece by Lu Canwei.

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Today, a classmate asked me: “I’m unhappy at work and want to resign, but I don’t know what I want to do next. What should I do?”

To be honest, I don’t have a standard answer to this question; everyone’s situation is different. However, one thing we need to clarify is the fundamental reason why I want to resign.

It could be that workplace relationships make me very unhappy, or it could be that my skills and salary are severely mismatched. Additionally, it might be that I don’t particularly like what I’m doing, or I’ve hit a bottleneck at work. Of course, there are various other reasons as well.

But the first reason for raising this question is often a lack of options. If I clearly knew what my next job would be and had already received an offer, I definitely wouldn’t have this problem. Many people look at others’ employment experiences and seem to have everything figured out, seamlessly transitioning from one job to another, knowing exactly what they should do. However, the reality is that those brief work experiences are often omitted; this is our daily life, and life itself is inherently unpredictable.

Company Development Prospects

First, we need to look at the future development prospects of the company’s industry and whether it is still growing rapidly. If growth has already slowed down, does the company have other business expansions to support its continued growth and strength? If the company itself is still very strong, then consider switching teams; after all, it might just be that the team’s leadership or colleagues don’t mesh well with you.

Some classmates might ask, even though our company is still growing rapidly, I feel that my growth has slowed down, and I feel like I’ve hit a bottleneck. In that case, think about whether changing companies can truly resolve your bottleneck issue.

For example, if you’ve just started working for three years and during this time you’ve grown very quickly, transforming from a workplace novice needing guidance to a key member independently responsible for a module, you might find that you’re handling the same business every day and feel like you’ve hit a bottleneck. When you choose to switch teams, you might find that you’re just dealing with new business, and the work is still quite similar to before. At this point, if you want to change jobs and move to a new company, you might discover that you’re using a completely different architecture, framework, or even language. You’re very excited to absorb new knowledge, but after a year, you might find yourself feeling like you did last year, thinking you’ve hit a bottleneck again. What should we do at this point?

No matter which company you go to, the problems you face will be the same. The company’s business may allow you to make rapid progress in a certain area, but it won’t help you gain knowledge outside of the company’s business. Therefore, we should take the initiative to learn relevant content in our spare time. The most direct way is to pay for various courses; for example, there are many courses available on Geek Time, or if you’re interested in algorithms, you can practice on LeetCode. In short, don’t limit your skills to just meeting the current business needs.

Of course, you can also learn about operations, products, marketing, etc. If you say you don’t know what you want to learn, then start reading books. Economics, psychology, philosophy, biographies of famous people, etc., are all worth studying. The key is to use your spare time to broaden your knowledge.

Mismatch Between Salary and Ability

Even though the company is doing well, they never give me a raise. This issue is easy to resolve; just take a look at the market and see what you’re worth. After interviewing a few companies, you’ll have a better idea of your value. The rest is about identifying what you lack and addressing it. After interviews, asking where you fell short will clarify the areas you need to improve.

Additionally, don’t place too much emphasis on salary; you need to have the confidence that if you don’t find a suitable place here, there will be other opportunities. If you don’t have that confidence, then focus on developing your skills. For example, if your current work doesn’t involve high concurrency or big data, you can talk to relevant colleagues and learn from them.

Not Knowing What You Want to Do

This situation generally occurs among people who have been working for several years. Many people find that after a few years, their skills haven’t improved much, their enthusiasm for technology has waned, and they don’t know what they want to do. At this point, you need to think clearly about whether you want to become a technical expert or an architect. If you lack the motivation to delve deeply into technology, then it’s time to seek a new direction. I’ve seen many people transition from technology to product management, and many excellent product managers come from technical backgrounds. Others move into business, market strategy, etc.

Technology represents a way of thinking; the ability to delve into, learn, and dissect problems can be applied elsewhere, giving you a natural advantage. Of course, this isn’t something you can figure out overnight, so we need to try and run other businesses from 0 to 1, rather than just thinking about it. We need to achieve a unity of knowledge and action.

In Conclusion

Of course, many times we are afraid of change, such as worrying that if I resign, I will lose my stable source of income. However, if it’s seriously affecting your mental health, like being manipulated by a boss, then it’s time to get out; it’s just a job after all.

There was once a little story:

This year, I tried many things, such as providing operational services for food delivery, creating community mini-programs, taking on freelance projects, working as a product manager, and currently engaging in self-media. Many times, we only see our current situation and don’t realize that our lives are not a zero-sum game. Losing something doesn’t mean it’s gone forever; your experiences and knowledge are irreplaceable in the eyes of others. Starting from yourself, thinking about what you truly want is what matters most.

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