“IF IT NO LONGER WORKS FOR YOU, THEN LEAVE”

The biggest irony of life is that we want to work but there are times we are propelled to not work. There could be multiple reasons for this mindset shift. At work, there is less enthusiasm to do the things that once excited you! These may be signs that you need a job change. No motivation, bad managers, no excitement in our current job, or a lack of a defined growth path also add to the mindset.

All these small pain points escalate into something much bigger and those form the reason for you to start looking for a career switch.

There are small signs that present themselves to us making us understand that we need to change our job or even our profile. You may not always be happy doing things you have been doing for a long time and you may think that it is time for you to explore other talents or career options or anything but what you are currently doing.

There are 10 signs that you need to watch out for that indicate you need to change your job.

Waiting too long

When you spend a considerable time in one organization, it does become a little monotonous to go back to the same environment. Unless you have a highly engaging job profile and are completely satisfied with your work and your employer then probably thinking of a job change may seem like a wise option.

When we become too complacent in one organization, a transition is not easy. But the idea is to keep learning and growing at every stage of your career. However, if you have been thinking about a change of job and you have waited too long for this to happen, then it is an indication that you should get up and look for a new job! An occasional bad day happens to everyone but if the feeling of not doing what you are doing now continues for a long time then please start looking out.

It’s Money Honey

Money does not mean everything; however, if you are not compensated as per industry standards or as per the work you are doing, maybe it is time to reconsider your job. If you think you have been giving too much of your time and not being compensated accordingly, then maybe you need to explore new avenues.

Sometimes you tend to wait for a while to get the right remuneration; however, if this does not come across as expected, you would soon tend to lose interest in your job and may want to move out.

Did you know? Nearly 40% of people change jobs for a salary increase! Are you one of them?

It’s getting too much!

You may not be the type of person to lament about work in front of anyone but if suddenly you find yourself talking too much about work pressure, then it is an indication that you have to look out. You will see yourself lamenting about your work in front of family and friends, then you surely are not enjoying what you are doing and it is time to change.

It is important to take note that talking about your work with your peer group is healthy, however, if this talking suddenly turns into wailing then it is best to look for a change. It is an indication you are not enjoying your job as much as you did.

Sleep baby, sleep.

Sleep is crucial to your existence and if your job is stressing you out to an extent that it is robbing you of your sleep, then it is time to move out buddy. If you are not getting adequate sleep daily then it is not a good sign for your body.

Sleep patterns getting disturbed can be caused by a variety of things but when work is the foremost thing playing on your mind, then it is not doing you any good. You go to sleep worrying about work and get up worrying about your job then it is time to change. Thinking about your schedule is good, but sleeping on your schedule is not.

Mental and physical stress

The pandemic made everything come to a standstill. People were struggling for jobs and losing their main source of income, and most of all, the added pressure of working from home without any defined time limit. While WFH is something many people enjoyed for a long time, today the world is moving onto a hybrid working model.

For many individuals going to work is a sort of stress buster, but if this same situation reverses, then it is time for a change. Work stress can lead to frequent headaches, feeling physically unfit, high cholesterol and BP, feeling lethargic, and most importantly, burnout. It may be an indication that you need to sit back and rethink your current position and either continue or quit.

Passionately impassionate honey!

If you are checking your Facebook or Whatsapp or other social networking sites a little often rather than completing the work assigned, then maybe your current job is not really giving you the satisfaction you’d hoped for. It can serve as a reminder and indication you need to change.

You no longer feel the same passion for your work as you used to. The triggers to feel less passionate about your work can be several such as, repeated work, lack of ideas because every time you presented something, it got shot down, or it now seems more like a chore than something that once excited you. You need to introspect and list down the points that make you feel so. You may be on your way out mentally already!

Bosses are getting Bossy.

We have often heard the term that people don’t quit organizations, they more often than not, quit bad bosses. If your manager or boss is giving you a hard time every single time, then it may be good for you to move out. Lack of good leadership can often make us feel like a hamster running on a wheel.

They seem to offend you in front of your peers, they do not acknowledge your efforts, and almost always have a way to pinpoint everything that went bad in a project. They do not give you the credit you deserve. This points to a toxic work environment and it is probably time you called it quits from here.

Drinking is good until it isn’t.

You are a social drinker and enjoy a drink or two with friends over a weekend or holidays, but if this goes on to become a daily binge then it could be that you are under stress. Stress caused due to work induces you to drink or smoke more, are an indication that you have to start looking out.

Everyone faces stress in some form or the other, however, if this same stress climbs up the ladder and starts controlling you by changing your health habits, then it is time to move out. Your health is in your hands and not your work’s.

Work anxiety (Oh no! Not work again.)

If you dread getting up every morning to get on with the day, then it may be time to think about your job. All of us experience a very coined phenomenon of Monday Morning Blues but if this continues the entire week making you feel less motivated, then probably it’s best to start considering what’s happening at your workplace and whether it is causing you anxiety every day.

Weekends are something that we enjoy however if you have a stomach-crunching feeling to go to work the next day, then do start exploring new avenues. Your work anxiety might be catching up and it may be time to start something new.

No learning curve

Curves are good and if there is ‘learning’ attached to them, nothing better than that. The learning curve you imagined in your current workplace has gone awry and what was promised does not seem to happen. You know you are capable of so much more but there is no growth and no learning remaining anymore, it is time to start looking around.

All these factors above also contribute to the fact that your job is not challenging enough for you to stay. You have been there, done that and now need something extra in your role, but if it does not come through, you start getting restless and bored. These are also signs that you need to change.

A job change is not easy in today’s time and age. With changing market avenues and a dynamically changing economy, it is even more imperative for one to think hard before moving out.

Although the above-mentioned points can act as markers for a change in job, however, it is best to consider all options together before looking out. It is good to know and study the market but becoming openly available for employers in the market, is another story. Job security and remuneration are very important and hence it is best to tread carefully before moving to the next job rather than taking up the first opportunity that comes your way.

“And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet,
KEEP LOOKING.
DON’T SETTLE.
As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”
— Steve Jobs

(Originally published on www.medium.com/@ahujaankita)