Knowing when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em.
If you hate what you do for a living or want to make a career change but feel stuck, don't worry. Even though right now might not be the right time to start looking for a new job, it may be exactly the right time to start thinking about what you really want to do and taking the steps to prepare for that career path.
It's never a good idea to quit your job when you don't have another one lined up, but you can use the time you spend at your job to get motivated and find a new career. But, how do you know for sure that you are in the wrong job?
Here are five signs that you need a change:
- They don't pay enough - If you are unhappy with your pay, ask yourself how much more it would take for you to be happy. Many times you'll find that it isn't really about the pay. Even if they paid you 15 percent more, you wouldn't enjoy what you do. Being unhappy about money is easy and can often mask the other, underlying issues that cause you to be unhappy.
- You feel useless - I've felt this way at a couple of jobs, and it really sucks. When you really don't see how you can make any sort of difference, for the company or for your customers, it's a helpless sort of feeling. Everyone wants to feel that their work is important and valued. If you can't see the importance of what you do, maybe your boss can't either and your job could end up on the chopping block. It's probably time to look for a new job.
- You aren't growing - When you are challenged at your job, everyday is a chance to learn something new and keep getting better. If your job has nothing left to teach you and there are no other challenges up ahead, it's a good indication that you've gone as far as you can at your job. Maybe it's time to consider a career change.
- You don't have future career goals - If no one is talking to you about the future, it's a big warning sign. It's important to be able to feel that you are important to your employer and that you have a role with the company as it grows. If you can't see your next promotion, you should do some hard thinking about where the job is heading.
- You really hate your boss - No matter where you work, there will probably be times when you don't like your boss. However, if you hate your boss so much that you have many more bad days than good ones, it's probably time to look for a new job. If you're filled with boss hatred ever day, look for another position with the company or work on your resume. Life is too short to spend it miserable.
- You don't feel like yourself at work - This happens to a lot of people I know. They feel like they have to be someone else when they go to work. Maybe you're an alternative person who has to be conservative at work or your casual style doesn't match your ultra-professional workplace. If you don't feel comfortable being who you are, it might be time to find a new job.
Have you ever worked at a job when you had one or more of these situations going on? Did you stay and wait for it to get better or did you finally give up and look for greener pastures? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for EducationJobsiteBlog and Nexxt. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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