Is it time to quit your job? Too risky? Then yes!

Apparently many people are ready to walk out on their current jobs as long as there are increases in pay on the other side.

I'm not gonna tell you that you should be happy in your job. And I'm not gonna tell you that you should love every day on the job. Let's face it, you have goals. Maybe those goals are to vacation more, relax more, spend more time with family and friends. Maybe your goal is to make more money than your friends and siblings. Maybe you really do love your job but the money doesn't make it easy to stay in New Jersey.

Either way, here's my advice. Assess who you are. Are you a risk-taker who will do whatever it takes to make it? Or are you a clock-puncher who is happy to get out at 5 and start your real life?

If you're the latter, then you should be constantly on the lookout for a better-paying gig. That said, don't be fooled by a minor jump in pay.

I had a staff member years ago who left her role with my group to join a competitor for a $2,000 raise. That's a nice amount of money, but soon after, that company was downsizing — and well, when you're the last one in, typically you're the first one out. Of course, I had already filled the position, so she was out of luck and unemployed.

It was probably a good lesson for a young worker. Be smart. Decisions about employment are not just about money. Strength and reputation of the organization are critical. Are they stable? Will you have a job in five weeks, months, years? If you're a 9-5 clock-puncher, more power to you, but take the stability factor into account before you jump for a little bit more pay.

On the other side, If you're a risk-taker, then all bets are off. As the saying goes, the higher the risk, the higher the reward (at least that's what they say; it's not always the case). For my story, I left a strong corporate role with an outstanding company to jump into a career that I had never worked in before. Without formal training or education in media, I left a nearly-two-decade career in business, politics and real estate to host a start-up show that by many accounts shouldn't have lasted a few months. But here we are on Chasing News in our fifth year, airing in prime time in the New York TV market.

Then there's my radio job. I'd never been behind the mic before I started hosting on New Jersey 101.5. The whole thing started because Judi was mocking our TV show on the air one day with Dennis, and we called in to invite them to the Chasing Studio. We all hit it off and in a few weeks I was filling in for Dennis. Thankfully, I'm still gainfully employed. More than that, I'm able to channel my love for New Jersey and its people into an advocacy role that I hope is driving some change that will make our great state affordable again.

So decide who you are and what you really want to accomplish. For my take, a little bit, nah, a lot of risk is what life is all about.

More from New Jersey 101.5: