There are a lucky few among us who will find a career they are perfectly happy with. For the rest of us, we will seek it out. Some of us will find jobs that are not ideal but will work for now, others will find good jobs only to become less appealing over time. So how do you know when it’s time to leave one job behind and seek out something better?
Career changes later in the career are becoming quite popular among boomer professionals. After gaining years of experience and earning a comfortable amount of income, they feel free to seek out something with more appeal. But even those not in that position can sometimes find themselves unexpectedly looking for a change. Heed these tell-tale signs that it’s time you made a career change.
You dread the work day.
Getting up in the morning to go to work is rarely a person’s favourite moment of the day, but there’s a difference between that and dreading going to work. Your time a work will take up a huge portion of your time and if you’re constantly worrying, stressing or generally feeling bad towards another day at work, it’s probably a sign you need a change.
You’re only in it for the money.
There’s no downplaying the financial benefits that come from having a secure job, and in some people’s cases, the money can be enough to keep them happy at work. However, if you find yourself hating every aspect of the job and the only thing that’s keeping you back is that steady pay cheque, then it is no longer a benefit, it’s a problem. If you can earn money at this job that makes you miserable then why can’t you earn money doing something you might actually like? Money is important but putting a price on your happiness is never a good idea.
You have lost passion and purpose.
There are indeed a few things more important than money when it comes to work, for instance passion and purpose. Passion for you work is invaluable. It makes the work day exciting, it motivates you to keep working hard and to be doing something you love for a living is the greatest achievement in a professional sense. Purpose is equally important as it gives you that feeling that your day is well-spent and fills you with pride. The loss of these important factors can turn a job into a real slog and are a good indicator that you should seek your passion and purpose elsewhere.
You can’t focus on work.
We all have those days at work that aren’t entirely productive, but there’s a difference between spacing out at your desk after a sleepless night and constantly daydreaming of something better. If you lose interest in your work, it doesn’t matter how effective you are at your job, your focus will begin to wonder. You’ll spend your days lamenting not gong down another path, fantasizing about taking that dream job, or envying friends who are happy at work. Not only is it a waste of the day, but your work will inevitably suffer.
You don’t think about the future.
Getting a promotion or moving up the corporate ladder doesn’t need to be everyone’s goal, but growing stagnant isn’t a healthy way to operate either. Whatever your career ambitions, growth is an important way to maintain those all-important qualities of passion and purpose. When you stop envisioning a future at your current job, that’s a good sign you’re not interested in a future at your current job.
You don’t feel valued.
Some people tell themselves that accolades and appreciation for their work aren’t important and that the knowledge they are doing good work is reward enough. That’s a fine attitude to take, but the truth is that after time and without recognition for all that great work, it will start to get demoralizing. You don’t need a pat on the back for every success but to feel valued by your organization is important. You know the quality of your work and you know what you’re adding to the company. Don’t you deserve a little recognition?