Deciding to change jobs requires thoughtful reflection and self-assessment. Career advancement is very important for your professional growth and should therefore be taken into consideration and never be ignored. The unhappiness you experience with your career when seeing no professional growth can have an impact on all areas of your life, from your health to your advancement opportunities. By knowing when the right time is to leave your job, you could obtain countless new opportunities where you are challenged regularly and do have chances for advancement in growth.
No opportunity for advancement
If it has been two years or more since you joined the company and you find yourself doing the same repetitive tasks on a daily basis, feeling like working in an assembly line and you have asked your employer for new responsibilities or new projects but got turned down, then it’s time to consider changing your job!
If you are underchallenged and are not learning new things over the course of time, your career is on standstill. Career advancement does not necessarily have to be a promotion or departmental change. In many cases, a lateral project is all you need to expand your knowledge and advance in your field of work. As well as this, if you are continually passed over for a promotion despite being a top performer, it’s probably time to look elsewhere.
You no longer feel challenged
Being bored in your job over a longer period of time can lead to boreout. Boreout is a syndrome caused by mental underload in the workplace and can manifest in serious ways, such as depression, insomnia, and listlessness. Boredom at work often increases the likelihood of mistakes, which can reflect poorly on you and potentially create problems from your employer. If you feel as though you are overqualified for your job and can complete work projects in your sleep, it is definitely time to look elsewhere for more stimulating jobs and external opportunities. Moreover, if you lack the feeling of passion to conquer a challenge, which is what makes career achievers work harder, excel, innovate, and be creative, then you are underchallenged in your current work position and need a job that challenges you enough to stay engaged. Without challenging tasks, it is hard to outperform yourself on the next round and your career will most likely stagnate.
Your well-being is suffering
Your physical health is sometimes an indicator of your mental health, therefore experiencing frequent colds, regular headaches, disturbed sleep patterns or unhappiness may be signs that your job is impacting your health. If the stress you are experiencing as a result from work is affecting your health, your need to find a way to alleviate stress or look for a new job.
You’re not earning more
If your salary is stuck where it was a couple of years ago is it really in line with both inflation and the current market rate. If you think you are underpaid, do your research using the GRS Annual Salary Survey. Approach your manager with data in hand and see if you can negotiate a higher salary that matches your contributions to the company. If this is not appreciated or considered, then it may be time to look elsewhere for a job.
Moreover, earning more does not always mean in cash, especially if the company is short of it. Many startups offer other share options as part of the compensation package. The ideal of your income being tied with your company’s potential income is a good enough reason to stay at the company. Otherwise, it is best to look for an employer who is willing to give you a chance to earn more.
Ethical boundaries have been crossed
When your manager requires you to conduct a task that is illegal or unethical, you need to take steps to protect yourself. A company must value honesty and ethics. If you feel that something is happening at work that is unethical – or worse, illegal – then you need to leave. First, explain your concerns in writing. If your employer insists on moving forward, it is time to expedite your job search and leave as soon as possible.
You can’t be your authentic self
Many people spend most of their week at work. Wouldn’t it be nice to be your true self during that time? Being inauthentic can lead to burnout and unhappiness. Do not “fake it till you make it” as this can have serious consequences on your mental health and therefore potentially even your physical health. Being yourself at work improves employee engagement, empowerment, trust, relationships, and happiness. If this is not the case for you, then you should consider re-evaluating your employment situation rather than just quitting. Take the time to strategize your next move as this will position you as a more attractive candidate and allow you to leave on good terms.
Negative working environment
Hostile work environments in many cases are caused by frictions in the nature of work and clashing personalities. A toxic working culture can interfere with your career growth but may also damage your mental and physical health. If you find yourself in a company where bullying is tolerated, morale is low, or your input is not valued, you may want to explore other options. While moments of conflict in the workplace can occur, continuous conflict can impact your performance and enthusiasm for your work. If the problem lies with a few employees, this can be handled and remedied. If the conflict is more pervasive, you may want to consider a job change.
Your job doesn’t use your strongest skills
The best way to excel in a career is to use your best skill. In this way you will not get bored too easily and you will feel as though the company is helping you grow in your best skills. If you are creative but have to stick to templates designed by management that cannot think outside the box for example, then your job is hindering you from using your strengths to your full potential. It’s always worth exploring if there in an opportunity for a change or role within the company, but if that is not possible then it’s time to start looking for a new job that fits your skills.
The company values do not align with yours
LinkedIn’s Workplace Culture report stated that 86% of Millennials would consider taking a pay cut to work for a company whose mission and values align with their own. Professional and personal lives are often very intertwined; therefore it is essential that the companies people work for align with their share of values too. If you regularly find yourself lowering your standards or compromising your principles, it may be time to find a new job.
There have been a series of layoffs
If you are working for a company and there have been multiple rounds of layoffs, this could mean bad news for you, even if you are still employed. First of all, the latter could be a sign that the company is struggling to solve its issues and laying off staff may be their current approach to solve the problem. Secondly, when the workforce is decreased the workload tends to increase for the remaining employees, which means you could end up being overworked and stressed to an extent that harms you. If this is the case, you should have a conversation with your manager about the status of the company and your job, then make an informed decision.
We hope this article was enlightening and has helped you in deciding if it’s time for change. Talk to the team at GRS today by calling +357 25342720 or +356 27780664 today.