5 signs hinting at a necessary career change.
There are copious benefits to working. Whether that be escaping our reality, reducing stress or keeping ourselves occupied. However, it would be naive to say that everyone feels this way. Unfortunately, everyone isn’t happy with the way their career has manifested. They’re only employed at their current position because they need to survive or they’ve gotten comfortable. If you’re feeling this way, it’s totally normal.
Charting a career path is a difficult process. It’s not something that can be achieved overnight. You’re going to experience a couple unfulfilling jobs until you reach that sweet spot. However, having the courage to make the plunge to explore new opportunities isn’t always easy.
If you are reading this, there’s a high probability that you are feeling unfulfilled at your current job; and thus, are yearning for a change. Below we have outlined five signals that hint at a necessary career change.
Your thought leadership isn’t recognized.
We all want to feel like we’re making an impact in the workforce. We want our opinions and ideas to be genuinely valued. However, once we feel dismissed in our careers; whether that be from upper level management, coworkers, or even the industry as a whole, it starts to harp on your psyche. This is because our skills aren’t being utilized to their fullest potential.
If you’re feeling this way, it might be time for a career (or at least a job) change. You should always put yourself in environments where you feel like your thought leadership is respected. Having that recognition will not only make you feel better, but it will also help push you to discover more solutions. Amidst that process, you will develop new skills and apply them in your future projects. Don’t be afraid to seek new opportunities if your thought leadership is undervalued.
You despise going to work.
If you wake up every morning dreading the idea of commuting to work, it might be time for a change. The fact that you despise going to work is indicative of how unhappy you are with your job. Don’t neglect your emotions. If you’re feeling anxious, unconcerned, unexcited, or jaded because of your job, then address the ‘why’. Why are you feeling this way? Is it because your boss is unpleasant? Is it because you don’t feel like you’re being adequately compensated? Is it because your opinion is undervalued? All of these questions are valid reasons as to why you might be despising your job. If you’re genuinely honest with yourself and realize that you can’t solve these issues, then it might be time for you to leave your job.
You're always bored.
There’s nothing worse than working at an uninspiring job. You want to wake up everyday and feel excited about your job. Unfortunately, a lot of people end up becoming extremely bored with their career. But it’s really not someone’s fault if they feel this way. Sometimes we get stuck in a daily routine, and due to that, we start to get bored. Being bored is a fragment to everyone’s job. It’s a harsh reality that a lot of people don’t want to accept. However, being bored all the time shouldn’t be tolerated. If you’re constantly feeling uninspired, then it might be time for you to leave your job. You want to have moments where you feel revitalized, excited and hopeful for your future projects.
You’re not building new skills.
You can’t thrive in any career without a robust skillset. However, it’s impossible to build your arsenal of skills overnight. It takes a lot of time, patience and a few jobs to build it. Each job should teach you something new. If you feel like you’re stagnant at your current job, it might be a sign that it’s time for a change. You should always be aiming to professionally evolve. You can’t do that if you aren’t building new skills. As your projects become more complicated and advanced, new skills are necessary to master. That’s why it’s important to be honest with yourself and assess what new skills you’ve learned.
Your friends and family don’t recognize who you’ve become.
When you’re feeling unhappy in your career, you will start to change as a person. You may become more impatient, cold or unkind. Although these changes may be unintentional, they’re still going to occur. However, it’s interesting how your friends and family can always recognize whether something is wrong with you. They will pick up on these changes to your attitude and address you about it. If you’re noticing people have been telling you that you’ve changed (and not for the better), don’t be afraid to self-reflect. Sometimes we don’t even recognize who we have become, so don’t get offended. Just try your best to understand where these changes stemmed from.
“We cannot change what we are not aware of, and once we are aware, we cannot help but change.”
– Sheryl Sandberg