Careers for Single Mothers - Articles

Finding security when leaving a job

Peter Winterbottom from Spirituality.com 

        Our kids were two and three years old, and my wife and I were just barely paying our rent and monthly expenses. But my marketing job didn't feel right. I disagreed with decisions that were made by upper management that affected the quality of our product and the way I was being asked to work with our clients.

        "I really needed the job, but I didn't want it. I asked myself, 'What do I want from a job?' " Was I trying to climb some ladder of success, or was I after power or money? No. What I wanted was to do something I believed in and where I felt I was making a unique contribution. The more I thought about what I believed in, the more I knew I had to make a change.

The answer I got was pretty scary.

        Whenever I'm faced with a difficult decision, I pray. There is a book I turn to when I need help with my prayers. It's called Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy. I used some ideas from the book this time. I prayed like this: "God, I know that you care and provide for me and every member of my family. I know that you will supply our every need. This isn't about what I want to do, it's about what you want me to do. I know you'll give me an answer and I will trust your direction. Thank you for showing me what is right and giving me the courage to act on it."

        The answer I got was pretty scary. But it came to me so strongly that I had to let go of the job. I had to trust that God would lead me to a great new job. I had an underlying trust that our whole family could not fall out of God's care. I knew the divine path is one of progress, and divinely directed steps aren't dead-ends. I knew God as a good friend, a strong and trusted friend, always leading toward goodness.

        After my wife and I talked it over, we agreed it would be best for me to leave my job -- even though it felt like we were speeding down a road without knowing where we were going.

        The day I resigned, I learned that it wasn't just me struggling with the decisions of upper management. When I told my manager why I was leaving, he laughed a little and showed me his own letter of resignation. It turned out that a number of employees felt the same way, and we all left at about the same time. The severance package included being given professional help in finding a new job and three months of pay.

        My severance ended on a Friday. The following Monday I was working at a new job in a new city, and our family was living in our first house! The job satisfied my desire for professional growth, as it demanded that I use new skills. I'm now even more convinced that listening for -- and obeying -- God's direction is a great way to make career decisions.