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Knowing When to Retire

Last update on: Mar 15 2020
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Here’s an interesting article in The Wall Street Journal exploring the issue of when a person should quit a job. (Subscription might be required.) It’s addressed mainly at people who are at or near retirement age and can afford to retire but haven’t decided to. On the whole they enjoy their jobs and careers and don’t see a reason to retire. The article mainly is anecdotal, sharing the experiences and reasoning of a few people who decided to leave jobs when they didn’t have to and appeared to be performing well.

The main points of the article are that you should consider leaving a job when you’re coasting, aren’t learning new things, and are mainly doing the same things over and over again, even if you’re doing them well. Also, consider whether you really enjoy the job or simply are afraid of change. Also, consider subtle signs from others. Are you having trouble attracting good younger people to work with you? Are colleagues asking for your advice and input left often? These could be ways they are telling you that your skills have diminished.

The good news is that those who take the leap frequently report there is more to gain than they imagined. Some say passing the torch, through mentoring, teaching or otherwise advising, can be just as gratifying as carrying the torch. Others say embracing a new opportunity made them fall in love with work all over again.

There’s also the fact that every job ends someday. So is it better to be ready for that moment—or even pre-empt it—rather than have it catch you unprepared?

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