5 Signs It’s Time for a New Career

In an uncertain economy, any job is better than no job, right? Well, that depends. Sometimes it is sensible to cut your losses and look for something else. Not necessarily better, just different. On average, we spend around one-third of our life at work. That’s a lot of hours, and it is especially grim if you hate your job. Even if you don’t actively hate your job/boss/colleagues, there are a few red flags that indicate it might be time to hand in your notice and start something new. Read on to learn more.

Your Workplace is Toxic

When it comes to toxic workplaces, there is no one-size-fits-all. Perhaps your boss is a raging misogynist who regularly makes offensive comments to female employees. Or maybe they are racist, narcissistic, or just plain incompetent.

• Are your colleagues a nightmare?
• Do you struggle to find a voice in meetings for fear of being ridiculed?
• Are your colleagues more interested in online shopping than working, leaving you to pick up the slack?
• Does your boss think it’s okay to make ridiculous requests late at night or while you are on holiday?

If any of the above sounds familiar, chances are high your workplace is toxic. If employee rights are regularly disregarded and health and safety are a joke, you need to start looking for a new job ASAP.

The Sunday Night Jitters

Sunday night shouldn’t be stressful. The weekend may almost be over, but this doesn’t mean you need to spend the evening feeling sick with stress while you watch the emails pile up in your inbox. Sadly, many people suffer from the Sunday night jitters or blues. The thought of another working week leaves them feeling dreadful: sick with nerves, unable to be present with family. A few butterflies in the stomach are perfectly normal if you have a busy week ahead, such as an important client presentation, but if you feel horrendous stress every Sunday evening and dread the alarm going off on Monday morning, you are in the wrong job.

You Feel Stifled

The best jobs are the ones where you have the freedom to grow into your role, learn new skills, and move upwards in the organization. Unfortunately, not all jobs are like this. Often, a job can feel like it’s a life sentence with no chance of parole. Every last glimmer of creativity you have is stamped out by an uncaring boss. You are literally a slave to the machine. If your job leaves you feeling like a drone every day and you have long since given up offering an original thought in team meetings, or your boss dismisses every suggestion you make, this is not the job for you.

You’re Bored Witless

Endless procrastination is the enemy of productivity. It is also a strong sign you are underutilized and bored at work. Some people are born procrastinators and only get a move on when a deadline is looming. This isn’t a great way to clear your to-do list, but it might work for you. However, there is a big difference between poor work habits and procrastination due to soul-sucking boredom.

If you don’t have enough to do, it’s incredibly easy to get sucked into Reddit holes or end up online shopping on work’s time. After all, who cares, right? As long as you get your work done, your boss probably won’t notice. Unfortunately, being bored at work is dispiriting and likely to leave you losing the will to live as time passes. Work isn’t always fulfilling, especially if you stack shelves or fulfill orders in a warehouse, but it shouldn’t be boring.

Being bored is bad for your mental health. Start looking for a job you find more mentally rewarding and life will feel a lot better.

A Poor Work-Life Balance

A poor work-life balance is bad for your health and bad for your personal relationships. Nobody wants to be married to or friends with someone who regularly pulls 18-hour days or takes their work laptop to bed on date night. Sometimes this is a boundary problem, i.e. you are a people pleaser who can’t say no to anything, but more often it is down to unreasonable expectations in a job that’s a poor fit for you. Nobody should be made to feel they have to work on vacation or during their kid’s birthday party. Don’t be that person; get out now while you still have a life!

The Next Step

Resigning from a job must be done properly. Tempting as it is to send a mass email to everyone in the organization outlining why you think the company sucks, it will likely scupper your chances of a great reference. Draft a polite resignation email or letter. Read Placement's guide to resignation emails if you are not sure what to say. Placement offers career coaching, to help you find a job that’s a better fit. It also has curated job boards.

Leaving a position isn’t always easy when you rely on the income it provides, but life is too short to stay in a job you hate or is bad for your health. Start looking for a new one today!