4 SIGNS THAT IT’S TIME TO GET A NEW JOB

From Monday to Friday we spend on average 40-45 hours at our jobs and about 30-35 hours (awake) at home. Because we spend most of our lives at our workplaces it is imperative that we enjoy our jobs, otherwise life could become miserable fairly quickly.

As we grow and develop during our careers it is likely that we will at some point outgrow some of our jobs. When this happens we have two main options; stay or move on.

Here are a few signs that it may be time to look for a new role (whether inside or outside of your current organisation):

1.    You are too comfortable – Whilst nobody wants to be uncomfortable at work, becoming too comfortable can be detrimental to your career development. If you no longer find your job challenging, you may be at risk of skill-stagnation.

After enough years of repetition, most people should be able to become good at their jobs, and hopefully become experts. But if you find yourself running through the motions, and rarely being challenged you may want to seek a new role that truly develops your skillset.

2.    Your workplace is toxic and unpleasant – Some of us may have had the unfortunate experience of working in a toxic environment. It may be a particular person, or perhaps the company’s culture, but for whatever the reason - going to work is no longer fun, even if you enjoy the work that you do.

If you find yourself not wanting to get out of bed and dreading going to work, it is likely time to move on. But before you do anything drastic, make sure that you are not contributing to the toxicity of the workplace. Be accountable and audit yourself to determine whether you can improve yourself before you consider leaving your role.

Our previous article on The Importance of Personal Branding may provide further insight.

3.    You are not being rewarded adequately – We should all have an understanding of our value to our employer and the marketplace in general. Without letting your ego get in the way, think about whether you are truly being valued enough.

This may not necessarily be a question of “am I being paid enough?” but you should assess: 

(a) whether you are being exposed to the opportunities you deserve; and

(b) if you are being given the recognition for the work you are doing.

If you feel under-appreciated, it may be a sign that you need to seek a new role that will reward you accordingly.

4.   You have lost passion for your role – Your team may be great, your pay may be phenomenal, your job title may be the one you always dreamed of, but what if you no longer have any passion for your job?

As mentioned above, we all develop as time passes. The person we were five years ago will not be exactly the same person we are today. As we grow professionally, we may begin to adopt different priorities when it comes to our careers. It may be that managing staff is not what you thought it would be, or that you now desire a complete change of industry.

Sometimes the passion we once had for our job disappears. If this happens, your priority should be to find that spark again. It may require an internal transfer, a secondment, or a complete change of scenery.

Matt Marshall is a Director and founder of Greysilver, a recruitment consultancy specialising in providing staffing solutions within the banking & insurance sectors.

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