5 Surprising Signs It's Time For A New Job
I should have been ecstatic. I was offered a promotion with the title I wanted and a $15k salary increase. Why wasn’t I jumping up and down with excitement?
Like many women, I had an idea of what it meant to be successful in the corporate world. Navigating my way through male-dominated meetings, sitting at the table ensuring my voice was heard, and climbing the corporate ladder so fast I didn’t stop to catch my breath.
This was the logical next step in my career, right? Then why didn’t I have an ounce of enthusiasm?
The signs were there. But I didn’t notice them until I became so unhappy in my new role that I started looking for other creative outlets (like selling lipstick).
The same things that made us act out as kids are tell-tale signals that we’re not in the right role.
After all, we spend more time at work than we do with our own families. We deserve to be in a role that challenges us and is a perfect match for our values, talents and skills.
Here are five signs to look out for to know when it’s time to move on:
1. You’ve lost your passion
Spending more time texting your friends, browsing Pinterest or watching videos on YouTube than doing actual work, might mean that you need a more challenging assignment. Or, it might mean that your passion for work you once enjoyed has fizzled out. Either way, it’s not a smart use of your time or your company’s time.
2. You’re making mistakes
Sending an email without an attachment, pulling up the wrong presentation in a meeting, analyzing data for the wrong project. Making mistakes at work might mean you stopped caring about the work you’re doing. Being totally uninvested in the outcome of your work could jeopardize your future by leading you to believe there’s nothing better out there.
3. You are easily agitated
You’re annoyed by your coworker’s loud coughing fit, roll your eyes at your department’s new strategic goal or pick a fight with someone in a meeting. Even worse, you take this agitation home to your spouse, roommate or kids. You weren’t always this cynical, pissed-off person who bemoans the incompetence of your coworkers.
4. You’re looking for other outlets
At this point, you might be thinking about looking for a new job. Or, you find yourself searching for something to take your mind off another crappy day at work. You could indulge in a little retail therapy, have an extra glass of wine with dinner, pick up a new hobby or start a side hustle. Some of these outlets can lead to positive development and growth in your life. Others, like overeating, overdrinking and overspending, give you immediate relief that can result in a vicious cycle of needing your job to pay for things and paying for things to escape your bad job.
5. You dread waking up in the morning
This is the kicker. Although many of your friends and family may join in your lamenting about having to wake up early to go to work, having a near-panic attack every Sunday night because you have work on Monday is not normal. Neither is falling asleep on the couch at 8pm after another Netflix binge. You’re not exhausted – you’re depressed, and the miserable state of your work life is seeping in to the rest of your life.
Okay, it’s time to leave. Now what?
Once you’ve recognized the signs and made the decision to look for a new job, don’t just quit.
Be strategic about what you’re looking for. You don’t want to end up in another thankless job and repeat this cycle over again.
What are your passions? What makes you jump out of bed in the morning? What makes you forget to eat and sleep?
Once you’ve identified what inspires you and where you want to go in life, you will be more prepared to find the type of job that motivates you to give your best every day.
Not sure what that is? Download your FREE copy of the BE Alive Passion & Purpose Workbook. It’s designed to help you discover your inner passions, values and purpose in life.
Ready to take this a step farther? Sign up for a free consultation for Job Search Coaching and uncover your unique strengths, talents and gifts that will help you land a job you love.