With approximately one third of a human’s life spent working, if your job is unfulfilling it can be a fast track to feelings of disillusionment, dissatisfaction and even depression.
But we humans are creatures of habit so although we may not love our work, the thought of switching can be very daunting so we may ignore the warning signs and persevere in a work situation that is detrimental to our wellbeing.
Here are seven indicators that it’s time for you to think about a career change in order to keep your sanity and job satisfaction intact.
Loss of passion
If you once loved your job and bounded into the office on Monday morning, looking forward to the challenges of the week, but that has given way to ambivalence, or even dread, then you need to rethink your work life.
“Most people hate going to work on Monday after a great weekend- that’s normal,” tells career counsellor from Career Doctor, Dr John Taccori. “It’s what you feel every other day of the week that needs to be taken into account.”
If you were in a relationship and the passion had left the building it would only be a matter of time before you packed your bags and moved on; such as it is with work.
To be fulfilled we need to feel like what we do has purpose, and if you don’t feel passion exactly, at least feeling purpose is necessary.
You don’t feel valued
Showing up day after day and doing your best at your job but never getting any recognition or kudos can debilitate your career.
It’s not about your boss giving you high fives all the time, but about feeling like you are a valued team member and what you contribute makes a difference that is appreciated.
You are not utilising your skills
If you can juggle three eggs, a flaming torch and a chainsaw whilst walking a tightrope, but your job only allows you to sell popcorn it’s likely that you will get bored in your job role, and bored can lead to indifference which is likely to show in your work.
It is also possible that due to necessity you became great at doing a job that you don’t necessarily enjoy, so while you may not be bored, you are constantly doing tasks that you don’t like or even dread.
“Doing the same job for 50 years, unless you love it, is going to prove to be challenging,” says Dr Taccori. “Changing careers is healthy and keeps you engaged in the workforce longer. However a career change should be made with a well-informed mind.”
You feel overworked and underpaid
While there if often debate about whether work/life balance actually exists or is it just a glittery unicorn forever just beyond reach, one thing in the equation that is definitely unsustainable is working too much for too little reward.
Not only does remuneration allow us to feel like our efforts are valued, but feeling like your employer is taking advantage of you is never going put you in a harmonious position.
You are emotionally exhausted
You wake up exhausted and you dread getting out of bed and going to work. You feel depleted and sluggish all day. Maybe you even have a chronic illness.
It’s highly probable that if you don’t like your work, it won’t like you back and that mutual dislike can manifest as physical ailments and fatigue?
There is no room to grow
Some people are perfectly content with remaining in the same position and doing their job, but others want to know that over time they have room to grow in order to progress professionally.
Is there a ceiling or an obstacle that prevents you from reaching your career goals in your current job?
Getting fired would be a blessing
Do you daydream about being made redundant, or getting laid off?
“If you are taking a lot of sick days and you are constantly ticking off the days until your next holiday, then that’s a sign you have had enough. You should not have to wish your life away constantly dreaming about the future,” confirms Dr Taccori.
This is definitely a sign that it’s time to make the change.
Change is scary, and finding a new career can be tough, but with many people working until they are 70 years-old, what is scarier and tougher is the idea that you’ll feel this way until you retire.
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*This article is sponsored by Open Colleges
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