The Signs That It’s Time to Change Jobs
Benchmark understands that for some of us, career progression and development is very simple and straightforward. Some of us determine whilst in secondary school or college an end goal that we must attain. If you are lucky enough to discover this end goal and are passionately invested in it, the remainder of your career, and indeed your life’s work can become very clear – you earn the qualifications necessary, and the experience and reputation to attain it. Quite often, these career paths are already well established; the route to your destination has already been pre-defined. You must follow the markers laid by those who did it before you.
But what about the rest of us? The vast majority of us perhaps don’t uncover that one passion whilst we are still in education. What of those of us who might have several interests at college; who might be talented or apt at a few different things but never find the one end goal which grabs us and drives us forward into adult life? Then there are those of us who end up treading a career path that perhaps we never intended.
Whilst a change of career might be scary, it can often end up being the best thing that happens to us.
Benchmark walks you through some of the top signs that you are ready to start looking for a new role.
The first and most immediate sign is often sleep
Restlessness, poor sleeping and, at worst insomnia are all signs of a troubled mind. Whilst this could also be coming from factors in your personal life, if your personal life is sound and you are sleeping less than you should, the presence of work could well be the cause. This lack of sleep can quickly compound the effect, causing you to be tense and strained at work – in turn causing people to become tense and strained with you and could make things much worse.
You have become unmotivated by company goals
Like personal goals, company goals are healthy. These goals could be as big as doubling your turnover, or as small as completing a high-value piece of work before the end of the week, if you find yourself completely uninterested in the value of hitting a vital company goal, it might be time to consider a change. Becoming unmotivated can happen gradually. If you have worked for the same company for several years and have found your enthusiasm for the company’s success gradually dwindling, it might be a sign it’s time to move on.
Quiet days have become the worst
Typically, it’s the hectic days you should be happy to be over. Whilst there can be a thrill to handling a hefty workload, busy, stressful days will typically weigh heavier on our minds, whilst the easier days are the ones where we can relax and have a little more fun with our colleagues. Unless, of course, you are unhappy. This is where the quiet, easier days can become more tiresome. The distraction of a hectic workload has been removed and this unveils your unhappiness.
Taking pride in your work
This is a big one! Only you know your true standard. Only you can know the quality you can attain when you set your mind to each task, and only you know when you have produced something that is far below your standard. If you find yourself completing the bare minimum every week it is a strong sign that you are unmotivated and perhaps not in the right place anymore.
Perhaps the most obvious sign though is your co-workers
Co-workers are very often the biggest indicators of your happiness at work. Unless you are lucky enough to work in the perfect environment for you with a group of people you love, co-workers will bother you from time to time, this is human nature. Mild frustrations occur for many of us most weeks and on these occasions, a happy, content worker will detach, get lost in work or find a way to move on swiftly. It’s when you are coming to work with a pre-emptive dread of a co-worker where you are expecting them to aggravate you. Very often co-workers won’t even realise that they are affecting you! If you catch yourself in this cycle, it’s a sure sign that you might be in the wrong place and it’s time to move on.
Getting the Ball Rolling and Taking the Plunge on Your Career Search. Change can be scary!
This is the reason many of us take so long to make a change and start searching for a new role. We fear exposing ourselves, and perhaps we might fail or be rejected.
Yet, one thing you will learn when you take the plunge is how quickly you can adapt when faced with change.
Building new relationships with new colleagues, and establishing yourself in a new role and environment can seem extremely scary before you do it. But once you have done it, you realise how exciting a new start is!
The first step is always the hardest and that is accepting that you are ready to embark on a new venture and find yourself a new role. Once you have reached this conclusion, a new world of opportunity will unfold before you.
Benchmark hopes that this article will inspire you to review your current situation. If you have identified that you are ready to look for pastures new, you are warmly invited to make contact to discuss your career options.