Almost everyone has the ability to adapt to different situations and environments; it’s a necessary survival skill and one that can help us find success. But sometimes, adaptability can actually do more harm than good. The thing about adaptability is that it can also lead to complacency. Our ability to adapt or become comfortable in any given situation can keep us rooted in good things… and bad things.
When you’re too comfortable or end up in a place of complacency, you may not see red flags that are flashing right in front of you. And if you do see warning signs, you might find yourself actively ignoring them! This is a common phenomenon in a lot of life’s situations—yes, relationships, too, but especially jobs. Understandably, there’s a lot more to lose when you decide to re-evaluate your current job situation. After all, there are bills to pay!
At Optimized Career Solutions, we have a lot of professional experience under our belts… which means we also have a lot of experience in missing or ignoring the signs that kept us unhappy in previous jobs. We’re so grateful for the wake-up call that led us down a more fulfilling path… the path to helping YOU. Today, we’re going to get real with you and help you face the signs.
Here are 5 signs that it’s time for a career change:
1) You’re Miserable in the Morning… Before You Even Get to Work
Okay, so not everyone is a morning person. But feeling tired and a little grumpy is far different than waking up with dread, dragging your feet through your morning routines, and hating every second that brings you closer to being back at work.
Think about it. You have one life to live… is feeling depressed every morning the way you want to live it? There are so many people who believe that “unhappiness” and “work” are synonymous and that there is nothing to be done about it. Having occasional days of wanting to stay home is normal (that’s what paid time off is for!)… but wishing you could stay home every day is not.
2) Your Skills and Your Interests Don’t Line Up
Being good at something is not the same as loving or even liking it. It’s not uncommon for people to stay in a field of work for years simply because they’re good at doing what they do. Oftentimes, these people will even forget what it is they truly wanted for themselves.
Every job has its perks and its downsides, but take a moment now and be honest with yourself. Do you enjoy the work that you do? If your regular work tasks are excruciatingly boring to the point that you wind up phoning it in every day, it’s time to move on! Being good at something you don’t enjoy can literally wear you out and make you exhausted even when it doesn’t actually take that much energy to execute. Find work that interests you, that motivates you, and even challenges you instead.
3 ) There’s Constant Turn-around
In just one or two years, you’ve seen a lot of people come and go. In fact, you’ve probably made a joke with your colleagues at the water cooler about the revolving door of faces that come in and out of the office. You might share a good chuckle over it, but no one really wants to delve deep about why exactly there is high turn-over. That’s because you would then have to confront real concerns and problems about the environment you work in.
Not only is employee turnover a bad look for any organization, but it tends to weigh heavily on the employees who stay, like yourself. Who ends up picking up the extra work when your managers are constantly looking for replacements? High turnover often results in frequent restructuring and reorganizing within the organization in an attempt to rectify leadership problems. If your organization is constantly restructuring, your work experience is shaky at best and straight-up unstable at worst.
4) Your Personal Life is Being Negatively Impacted
No job is perfect—it is completely natural to come home and complain to your spouse, partner, or roommate about your job. But how often are you doing it? This is another area where complacency will mask the tell-tale sign that it’s time to re-evaluate your job or career. You might even get used to your home life being negatively impacted by your job, too!
We don’t have to remind you that you’re not getting paid at home (unless you’re working remotely!). So why are you spending so much of your free time, so much mental and emotional real estate, stressing about your job? One of the biggest skills to have as an employee at any company or organization is the ability to leave work at work. If you’re incapable of doing that, and you’re bringing negativity into your home rather than positivity, then that means you’re not living the life you deserve.
5) You’re Constantly Questioning Leadership Decisions
If you’re not currently in a leadership position, you should not have to feel stressed out over leadership decisions. The whole point of working under a manager is to help them achieve results in a way that you trust, respect, and can learn from. You should be in alignment with your team’s goals and be just as invested in achieving them as your managers.
Have you ever found yourself complaining to a colleague, “Why is Bob making us do X, Y, and Z? It doesn’t make sense!” Just because you aren’t the manager doesn’t mean you don’t know better. And if you’re constantly questioning decisions that are made above you, that also means that your voice isn’t being heard and that your opinions don’t matter. Supervisors and subordinates should work hand-in-hand as a team. If your workplace has a “whatever I say goes” culture, then it’s most likely a toxic one.
- And a Bonus Sign when it comes to management: During the recent pandemic, if your employer forced to participate in unhealthy and unsafe practices, or you suffered a cut in pay or furlough… this is a huge sign that your company may not be looking after its workers. Find a company that does!
Here’s the biggest tell-tale sign that it’s time to leave your job: all of the above apply to you! What are you waiting for? What’s stopping you from moving on? Today, Optimized Career Solutions is inviting you to tell us.
When you sign up for a free 30-minute consultation, you can tell us why you feel stuck in your current job, and we can tell you why success and happiness aren’t as out of reach as you think. Let us assure you: you can and will achieve the next level in your career when you work with us!