How To Know When To Change Jobs
10 Comments Published May 30th, 2008 in advice, boredom, choices, employment, happiness, jobs, lifeIs it time for you to start looking for another job? This is a question a lot of people dance around for a long time -sometimes years. I’ve gone through the same thing myself. After making a transition to a new job after almost ten years at a single employer, I’ve thought quite a bit about the reasons people stay at jobs for extended time periods, even though they are deeply unsatisfied with where they are. Here are some signs to look out for if you find yourself wondering whether it’s time to jump ship:
1. Your skills are not respected. If you feel that your employer doesn’t recognize your value to the company, then it may be time for a change. Do you find that your opinions are taken for granted or that your judgment isn’t taken seriously? If you’re always wrong in the eyes of your employer, then there is definitely a problem.
Take the time to examine yourself, though. Are you really contributing as much as you can? Are you proving your value in your work assignments? If not, it may be worthwhile talking with your supervisor and asking for more challenging or interesting work. If this isn’t an option, then it’s time to start looking.
2. You’re stuck. If you’ve been in the same position, doing the same things, for nearly the same pay, for a long time, it’s time to shake things up. Has your job title been the same for five years? Do you have the same level of responsibility you had three years ago? Is your pay increasing at a snail’s pace with cost of living type raises? Enough is enough.
Again, look at your situation from an outside perspective before making final decisions. It’s true that you’re much more likely these days to make significant gains in salary and benefits by changing jobs than you are by staying at a job for a long time. However, if you’re content with what you’re making and/or the market won’t support paying much more for the work you do, then the scenario may be a little different. You may want to communicate to your supervisor that you’re ready for more responsibilities. It’s also possible that there may be another role in the same organization that can be more satisfying and more lucrative for you.
3. You’re bored! If you simply can’t get into what you’re doing right now, then it may be time to leave. There is some evidence that the human mind needs change in order to defeat boredom and depression. Many of us spend the greater part of our lives, more than 40 hours per week, working. This is a lot of time to be spending performing tasks that aren’t stimulating our brains in the ways that they need in order to thrive.
You have to be careful, though, that you’re focusing on the right parts of your life that need change or improvement. It could be that more outside activities will liven up your life. Perhaps meeting new people is what you need rather than switching jobs. Try expanding your social and activity circle to see if it makes life more interesting and enjoyable for you. If your work situation doesn’t improve after making some changes in your outside activities, then it may be time for you to move on.
Being unhappy in your employment has a profound effect on your life. When your job no longer is satisfying, you often begin thinking all sorts of negative thoughts about yourself. You start thinking that you’re not good at what you do, so maybe you should choose another career. You may think you’re just a bad employee, lazy, sloppy, or unintelligent. These thoughts are self-defeating and self-destructive. Instead of beating yourself up, take some time to make some changes to make your life and work more interesting, challenging, and enjoyable.
I was part of a team that built up a company from almost nothing to a big player. With new owners, the direction that the company started to take made no sense to some of us and I was the first one to leave, after of course careful consideration and with another job secured. The parting was painful and it did not make it any easier when many of my colleagues too started to leave.
In retrospect, the decision was right as the company has not been doing very well but, the trauma of doing something like that has not completely left me, nor my colleagues.
All of us have made good lives for ourselves subsequently, and that is the icing on the cake.
Hey Music. The decision to change jobs can be so difficult. I think a big part of it is about accepting the reality of the situation, rather than deluding ourselves into believing that things will miraculously improve. It sounds like you made the right decision. Thanks for commenting!
You are absolutely right. Indecisiveness often paralyzes people into staying on in unhappy situations. The most important part of the process is deciding and acting on the decision.
My pleasure. Hope to see more of your posts.
Unfortunately there are those out there that have changed jobs so often because of the symptoms mentioned, realized, and aren’t afraid to make a leap. That leap taken is usually with site in mind to make ones’ social, personal and economic life better but seems to run into the same ol’ thing. Boredom, lack of enthusiasm, a boss who lacks respect for their employees, and just plain not a good fit for the job. What then? Leaped so many times in less than 5 years employers second guess my resume. I work so many part-time jobs I can’t keep straight which one I go to each day when the alarm goes off. Not to mention my weekends are without rest. Hmmm, I think its all about attitude. I should be thankful I have something to wake up to for the time being till I can move on to something that I enjoy with a better pay allowance. I don’t believe the corporate world was meant for me.
Hi Jane,
I know what you mean! Our relationships mean more for our overall happiness than our jobs, but having a crappy job (or more than one!) can really make life less enjoyable, to say the least.
It’s OK if you don’t think you fit into the corporate scheme. Maybe it’s time to embrace that and look into a more creative or entrepreneurial way to make a living. Good luck and thanks for commenting!
I recently left a job, in fact I was a part-owner and co-founder of the company. I had been thinking about leaving pretty much every day for 4 months due to bad attitude, low work rate and laziness of some of the others. If you are also thinking of leaving, it is probably a good idea, I am soo much more happy now
I just retired from a 40 year series of teaching jobs last year. As long as I was happy with the contribution I was making and the feedback I was getting I remained on the job. But when I was in a school where I didn’t get support from the top and where helping students learn was not a top priority, I got out as soon as possible. Fortunately that only happened twice.
Throughout the years I always had a fulfilling family and social life. You’ll never get all the loving you need from a job, so creating a life outside your job is vital.
Sadly if you require advancement in life, moving jobs is a must. If you are lucky enough to get a promotion with your current company, they will only give you a small increase in salary, just enough to justify the promotion and keep you… if you’re lucky. If you however require a decent promotion and increased package, changing jobs and employer is mandatory, sadly.
Your job is a big part of your life… if you’re not happy with you job then logically you’re not happy with your life as well.. it’s definitely time for a change.
“You’re bored! If you simply can’t get into what you’re doing right now” that the moment where you have to say, ok i´m going out of here.