How to know it is time to leave your job (and how to do it right)
Somejobs tell you when it is time to leave by making you miserable. You dreadgetting out of bed and making the commute, walking into the office andstrapping yourself in for another eight hours of misery. There is no ambiguityhere; if that’s how you feel about your job, then you should find somethingelse, for both your well-being and the good of the business. It may not feellike it when you’re in the depths of despair, but companies don’t wantemployees who hate being there and aren’t interested in the work.
WhatI’m talking about is when you don’t dislike your role, you might even love it.However, it may not be right for you anymore. These are some of the signs thatyou’ve outgrown your current job:
Youdon’t feel challenged
Evenjobs we like and employers who we respect may not be right for us anymore.Sometimes it’s about finding a job that will lead you somewhere new andexciting, rather than let you spin your wheels and stay comfortable. If youfind yourself switching off when you get to work and sleepwalking through yourday, it might be time for a change of pace.
Youhave your own business on the side
Intoday’s “gig economy”, you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who isn’t doingsomething else on the side. If your passion project is where your interestlies, then perhaps it is time to take the plunge and make it your full-timejob. There’s a good chance this job takes up more of your brain power than yourday job already and it might be time to strike out on your own. Being your ownboss will invigorate you in a way that simply changing employers probablycan’t.
You'rebored all the time
Eventhe most initially complex role can become “just a job.” If the role doesn’tcontinue to teach you new skills, then there is a good chance you’ll becomebored. The most rewarding roles make employees feel like they are valued forthe skills they possess and are recognised for their potential to acquire newones. If perform the same tasks every day, once you have conquered the initiallearning curve, boredom will start to creep in. This can manifest itself inmany different ways, but most commonly bored employees will begin to disengagefrom the company culture and become increasingly less productive.
Yourskills aren't being tapped
Worsethan not learning anything new, is not being able to use the skills you have.Sometimes this is because you’ve taken a role that you’re over-qualified forand your responsibilities are too limited, or because you’ve found yourself ina more administrative or managerial role than you initially signed up for. Itcould also be a case of your employer not recognising the full breadth of whatyou can offer the company. Whatever the reason, it could be time to see whatelse available for someone with your skillset.
Perhapsyou don’t need to leave at all…
Ofcourse, none of these on their own are necessarily good reasons to leave yourjob and you might just need to sit down with your boss and have a discussion.If they’re excited by your desire to learn something new, take on newresponsibilities, or solve a skills shortage they’re experiencing, then you maybe able to create new, exciting role without changing companies. If your bossisn’t willing or able to change your role to better suit your skills,experience, and ambitions, then you probably have your answer.
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