Knowing when to move on
Sometimes the signs are clear: you are miserable every weekday morning, you dread stepping foot in the office, you are constantly stressed and your home life is suffering as a result as you find yourself bringing home work-related stress at the end of the day. It’s obvious you need to find yourself another job. But other times the signals might be more subtle and you might feel inclined to plod along in your job without taking proper heed of the signs that are telling you to move on.
So what aspects of your job should set off the warning bells?
- No work/life balance
If you are finding yourself eating all your meals at your desk, rarely spending any quality time with your loved ones or, conversely, if you cannot allocate sufficient time to your job due to home commitments, your work life balance is out of equilibrium. It’s a difficult one to get right, but there are jobs out there that allow you to achieve a healthy balance.
- You no longer fit into the corporate culture
Do you find yourself disagreeing with the fundamental principles of your business? Constantly battling with your company’s moral and ethical principles? Cannot see the management’s viewpoint? It’s time to move on.
- No room for growth
Hitting the proverbial glass ceiling where you cannot see any room for growth is a clear warning sign. Another alarming issue is when your company lacks any decent training structure to help develop your skills and move up the corporate ladder. A dead-end job is just not worth the effort.
- Not using your skills
If management cannot or won’t see your potential and relegate you to work that’s beneath your skill set, it’s definitely time to spread your wings. There is nothing worse than working in a position that doesn’t challenge you. Lack of fulfillment breeds discontent in the workplace and should signal the search for something better.
- Happiness
If you don’t get a feeling of fulfillment in your job this will without a doubt lead you to feeling unhappy with your job. There are so many factors at play that impact our happiness on the job, so it’s worthwhile taking a long hard look at just how happy you are when you are at your place of employment.
- Can’t see your future
If it’s hard to imagine where you will be in five or ten years’ time or even a year’s time with your current company, it is worth investigating what other jobs are available in your industry.
At the end of the day we spend most hours of our day dedicated to our job; it’s crucial we find meaning, happiness fulfillment in our career and job choices. Enjoy this inspirational TED Talk from Nigel Marsh, who stresses the importance of choosing your work-life balance, and not letting it rest in someone else’s hands.