If you spend your days longing for the weekend, staring at the clock waiting for lunchtime, or feel like you’re stuck in an unchallenging role with little prospect of the situation improving, then it’s probably time to be thinking about changing your job. In the beginning months of the year, it’s very common for people to take stock of their situation and find a new job that offers better prospects.
Here are five major signs that you should think about changing jobs this year.
You don’t think you’ll progress in your current role
Do your feel like your career prospects have stalled with your current employer? You’re not alone. In fact, around 60% of employees feel that they don’t have a well-defined career path. And a third feel that they don’t have a career at all – just a drudge of a job that pays the bills. Over half feel they get little or no positive input from managers when it comes to working on ways to improve their situation. If this sounds like you, then you’re probably doing your future prospects more harm than good by staying in your current role.
It’s easy to become disillusioned when you feel your skills aren’t being recognized or developed and promotions seem to go to everyone but you. This is not a good situation for you or your employer. A disengaged team member can negatively impact all aspects of a company’s performance. Staying put in a role where there is no prospect of progress jeopardizes not only your career opportunities but your earning potential too – so recognize when it’s time to move on.
You dread going to work each morning
We’ve all had mornings when we just don’t want to go to work. It’s only natural to want to hit the snooze button and dive back under the covers sometimes. But if you feel like this on a daily basis and have been for a while, then the alarm bells that are ringing shouldn’t be ignored. Similarly, if you feel like you’re a different person in the office than you are outside of work, it’s another sign that all is not well.
Consider what it is that’s making you miserable. Is it the job itself? Or the company? The industry you’re working in? Maybe the people you work with? Is it frustration that you’re not appreciated or not fulfilling your potential? Do you see no way for things to improve? If you’re working in a large company, perhaps you’d be happier in a smaller company, and vice versa. Think about where you could best use your skills by doing some research on other employers that you’d consider working for, or moving to a different type of business such as an agency or consulting firm.
Your work-related stress is damaging your health
In today’s ferociously competitive business climate, we’re all being given more to do, with ever-tighter deadlines to do it in, so it’s no wonder that some people go under. An ever-increasing workload is a prime cause of stress in the workplace, and the chances of having a medically-diagnosed illness increases by 35% if you work in a high-stress role.
But working in job that just isn’t for you can also be a major cause of stress, according to David Ballard of the American Psychological Association. It could be that the workplace culture doesn’t chime with your own values, or that you don’t have enough experience or haven’t had enough training to do what is being asked of you by your bosses. All of this leads to increased stress and unhappiness.
You’ve not worked to your full potential for a long time
There’s nothing worse at work than not having your skills and experience recognized by management, or working in an unchallenging environment. It leads to coasting and complacency and you not working to your full potential. It may be time to face up to the fact that you have reached a dead-end with your current employer, leaving you out of the running for roles with more responsibility.
The need to earn a living can keep you in an unsuitable job longer than is healthy. But in the long run, choosing the right time to move on can be a positive move, enhancing your career progression, achievements, and potential earnings, and boosting your value to future potential employers.
The company you work for is going under
When the company you work for is under financial pressure, it can be very stressful. Not only because of the fact that you’ll probably have to do more with fewer resources, but also because you’ll be worrying if you’ll have a job at all for much longer and are about to lose the means to support yourself and your family.
If you recognize that your company is in trouble, start looking for alternative employment sooner rather than later. Getting out before the company goes under will help keep your reputation intact. No one wants to be associated with a failing business, so getting out early can give you some distance before it’s too late.
It can be scary deciding to leave a job. But if it’s not making you happy, or you don’t find it stimulating, or it’s affecting your health and just getting through each day has become your main goal – it’s time for change.