It’s year-end and you may be reflecting on your job performance. Perhaps you’re reflecting on your overall performance in this job. For some, you may realize that not only have you performed your job well, but you have successfully delivered the things you were hired to do. Said differently, you completed the job that you were hired to perform. 

We rarely talk about job transitions resulting from “finishing the job you were hired to perform.” But it happens. This article will discuss how to recognize it is time to leave because you’ve completed the job and suggest how to proceed. 

Have You Completed Your Job Mission?

Whether you were hired to build, to fix, or to scale – it is possible to complete the set mission. Maybe you had to build a fusion center, mature security detections, or refine the policy framework and practice. You were hired and handed a mission.

The mission compelled you to the role. Yet, when you complete the roadmap, it’s easy to overlook this milestone because ‘work’ continues. However, a review of the job description and your personal notes from your onboarding remind you that what ‘needed’ to be done was in fact completed. It may be time to transition out of your job.

What happens next is natural and difficult. When considering the needs of the program and the dynamics of the company, you also consider the characteristics of the person that will be best equipped to guide the program to that outcome. You realize that the program may need someone different from you to navigate it forward. 

Signs It May Be Time To Transition

You may consider whether you can be the right person for what the program  needs next. You’ll consider many aspects of what that would take, including whether you’ll find enjoyment in adapting your energy and focus to “keep at it or slow it down.” 

No one knows the program better than you do. You also have a clearer understanding of how to successfully deliver for the organization. Still, taking an outsider’s perspective to evaluate the needs of the program is difficult because of inherent bias. 

It is likely that the thing the program needs next is to prioritize a different element. An element you may not feel excited to deliver or best qualified. This may indicate that the program needs someone different from you to carry your work forward. The need has shifted. You didn’t fail. No no, you succeeded. You arrived at the completion of the job you were hired to do. For many, this is a time to transition away and leave the company. Transitioning after completing a mission-driven role requires clarity and self-awareness. 

The Subtle Signs That You’re Ready

It’s difficult to honestly consider whether you should transition away. There are many forces at play – not the least of which is the job market. 

One reflection is to notice that you ‘feel’ or ‘behave’ differently performing your job. These could be described as “micro emotions” or “microaggressions;” they’re subtle. And even more challenging to self-identify objectively.

One example is the speed with which you feel frustrated, bored, annoyed or disappointed. What you used to ‘let go’ is more punctuated.

Behaviorally, others may notice that you’re impatient, disengaged or curt. Sometimes it’s a phase and it passes, or it may indicate that now is an appropriate time to leave.

Navigating The Emotional Challenges of Moving On

There is a dark side to discuss: when transitioning out is the right answer, but not the answer that you’d hoped for. You’ll feel understandably conflicted – it’s a sign of your commitment and dedication. However it’s entirely appropriate to seek the next mission in your career journey. No hard feelings. You’re well poised, even if it ‘feels’ ill timed. Being able to recognize this moment is a gift.  

Preparing For Next Steps

If you have completed the job you were hired to do and it is time to leave, recognize the opportunity you are facing. When you begin to imagine your next move, you realize you’ll be faster, have the experience to take on new challenges and expand your impact. In the meantime, take action to keep yourself operating at your peak and remind yourself of your success in achieving the mission and identifying the future direction.

Just because you CAN do what’s needed next for the program, doesn’t mean it’s what you want to be doing or what will therefore present your greatest performance. 

Wondering If You’ve Overstayed? 

1. Review your job description vs. completed roadmap
2. Assess emotional and behavioral signals
3. Identify personal professional goals