Unless you’re working on a tropical island somewhere and getting paid vast amounts of money to basically be on holiday, you have probably thought of quitting your current job at some stage.
Perhaps the thought of doing something different has been gnawing at you for quite a while, but how do you know if it’s time to move on?
If you can identify with a few or all of the points listed below, you’ll have your answer…
1. You’re not growing
If your skills are not being utilised, your talent and potential go unfulfilled. This means you can’t grow and develop as an employee, which means your “value decreases” – especially in a world of ever changing and evolving technology, communication and processes. If your company is not into promoting or cultivating you, they are not interested in seeing you remain relevant or reach your full potential.
Ask yourself – if you’re company is not investing in your growth, why invest your time and talents in its success? If there is no place to grow to in the company, maybe you should sow your seeds somewhere else…
2. You’re bored
Your work should challenge you and, as your chosen profession, should be something you enjoy doing. Every day can’t be a dream day, but overall you should find your job rewarding. Just twiddling your thumbs and waiting for the minutes to tick away is no way to spend your days.
Life’s too short to spend the biggest part of it stuck doing something that doesn’t interest you – and doesn’t compensate you accordingly – all the while draining you of every last drop of energy.
3. You dread going to work – every single morning
Steve Jobs famously asked himself the very same question every morning: “If today was the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”.
If he answered “no” for too many days in a row, he knew it was time to change something. There’s much to say for spending your time doing what you love, and dragging yourself to work every day is not a good sign.
If what you’re doing now evokes negative feelings most of the time, do something different.
4. You have lost the balance between life and work
Don’t underestimate the value of your time away from work. It is imperative that you spend a good amount of your time away from work (this also means no email) to recharge your batteries.
Is your job encroaching on your personal life? Once the line between time spent at work and time spent at home becomes blurry, you need to ask some questions.
5. You’re wanted elsewhere
Have you been contacted by recruiters and headhunters a lot recently? This might mean that many companies are hiring in what you do, which might just lead to job opportunities with more chances for growth and a greater salary expectation than your current job.
Don’t shoot everything down. If nothing else, going to interviews will show you what else is out there and keep you prepared for when that perfect interview for that perfect job comes along.
6. Things are looking south at your current company
As important as loyalty is, sticking around on a sinking ship is irresponsible. Start looking for something else the moment you get the impression that there are difficult times ahead that might lead to you losing your job. Getting retrenched is a reality for many people in today’s unstable economic climate, and you need to look out for yourself.
Don’t kick yourself because you knew a storm was coming and didn’t open your umbrella.
7. It is simply time to make a move
This final point is perhaps the most important of all. Sometimes it’s just time to move on.
Whether you’ve wanted to pursue a different career for a while or simply feel it is time to move on from where you are at the moment – if you’ve had a sense of impending change weigh on you for long, there is really only one thing standing in its way: your decision to make the change.
All things considered, quitting isn’t always a simple decision. List the pros and cons of this decision. Sometimes sticking around is worth it, and everyone’s situation is relative to their circumstances.
When you do decide to quit for a new challenge, go into your new job wholeheartedly and with the same passion and dedication that you had when you started your current job.
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