Changing Jobs- How Do You Know When it’s Time?
Economists and pundits are forecasting more hiring in 2011, which is not only favorable news for the state of our nation, but may result in more workers pondering a job change. Maybe you’re happy enough in your job, but you wonder what else is out there. Maybe you feel like you’ve hit a glass ceiling and can’t go any farther. Or maybe you hate your job so much that every morning you can barely make yourself set foot through the front door.
You used to enjoy your job, but haven’t felt challenged for a long time.
Your skills have dulled as each day scoops itself blandly into another rut of plain old busy work. While this path of least resistance may seem easy, in the long run it could harm both your career and your mental well being as boredom dulls your days. Consider looking around to see what else might interest you; it’s possible that you’ll discover a more diverse job or even decide to tap into a passion you once taught yourself to ignore.
You vaguely remember having a life once, but not anymore.
If your job has grown from a “great opportunity” to a fire breathing monster that threatens to consume your life with a hailstorm of round the clock calls and mobile messages, consider jumping ship. While these jobs are often marketed as temporary gateways to a happier existence, the word “workaholic” has an “aholic” attached to it for a reason. If your life is being lost to your work and you’re miserable, it’s time to back up and take stock of what’s more important.
You want to go, but you’re just too scared.
When you think about leaving, mental roadblocks pop up everywhere telling you that you’re not good enough, you don’t have the right skills, or you’ll just never get there. Listen up: Stop that immediately. Life is going to go by faster than you think, and if the only thing that is holding you back is fear, you don’t have a very good reason not to move on. Crash through those barriers and prove to yourself that you’re strong enough to make a change.
Whatever your reason for considering a move, if the thought has occurred to you then it might be the time to do so. At least take a look around and start networking. The worst that can happen is nothing at all, but the best is finding out that you have a shot at doing something you enjoy in a company you like. What have you got to lose?
