Signs You Should Find A New Job

Do you think it is time to find a new job? This question, for many individuals, is one of the hardest to answer, let alone take action and follow through with their career shift. The first question to ask yourself would be “do I only want to leave because of temporary issues or are these major red flags indicating I should start looking for an alternative job/career?”

On one hand, in almost every job there will be temporary conflict or frustrations causing you to question your future with your company but often don’t equate to valid reasons to cause you to leave your company; you can chalk up your grievances to a few bad days. On the other hand, there are major signs that it is time to start looking for a new job and these 6 signs shouldn’t be ignored especially if you are consistently having bad days.

1. You’re already thinking about finding a new job, consistently. Are you driving home from work thinking about how much you don’t enjoy your job and wish you had a new one? How many days per week do you contemplate a career change? If you contemplate this more days than not, you are already telling yourself that your current position does not make you happy and you could potentially be happier with a different company or a change of career path.

2. The company you are currently working for is heading down a road that you do not want to travel on. A common notion people have is people do not leave jobs, they leave bosses, however, this isn’t always true. If your company is not thriving, having layoffs, or potentially being acquired, you have every right to leave your position and find a more stable job or work for a company with goals that align better with your own. Essentially, you do not have to “go down with the ship;” you can feel free to get a life vest, hop in a rescue boat, and leave!

3. You have lost your passion for your job. Whether you are losing passion because of the demands of your job or you have taken a personal shift and no longer enjoy what you do, it’s time to find a job that brings passion back into your life. If you are losing passion for your job because your company is taking the ground out from under your feet, you can find a company that supports your passion and makes you happier to come to work. If you no longer enjoy what you do, you can change the field you work in or careerpaths all together. For example, you may no longer enjoy retail pharmacy but managed care or hospital pharmacy may be more appealing. Or you could find yourself changing career paths completely by teaching pharmacy or working as a consultant for pharmaceutical companies instead.

4. You are consistently thinking about work and dread going into work even when you are not there. If your days off from work still mentally revolve around work and all the problems there, all the while dreading going back, it’s time to find a new job. Your time off is necessary and well deserved; you should be spending your time doing activities that make you happy, not dreading your next shift.

5. Your conversations with friends and family revolve around complaining about your job responsibilities, your boss, and your workday. Each of us will have bad days, but they do not define our jobs. If your job is transitioning to being defined around negativity and problems while you feel a constant need to display the negativity through constant conversations centered around complaints, it’s time for you to find a new job. The constant complaining and negativity will only lead to increased stress, health problems, and an unfulfilled life. Many people report losing sleep, headaches, frequent migraines, new onset of high blood pressure, and a drastic change of appetite when they are stressed or unhappy with their job.

6. Your boss does not support your personal growth and often works against you; the relationship cannot progress for your success. Your boss directly correlates to your success and if your relationship is strained with him/her you are guaranteed to have an unsuccessful future with your company followed by many years of misery. If you do not like your boss, it is safe to assume they do not like you either. It is better to find a new job with a chance to succeed and grow rather than stay at your current position with guaranteed negative biased performance evaluations, constant friction, lack of support, and no growth in your position let alone with the company. This is the most common reason people choose to search for a new job. Many people report they would rather have job responsibilities they may not enjoy as much with a great boss, rather than responsibilities they truly enjoy but work with a boss who does not support them and results in their unhappiness.

When in doubt, you know what is best for you whether that be staying at your current job or seek new employment. While assessing your future do you see yourself in your current job 5,10,15,30 years down the line while being happy? Can you have a balanced work life balance while thriving in your career? Keep these signs in mind and make the necessary changes for you to have a fulfilled life before your job takes over.

Citations:

1. Butler T. Getting Unstuck: How Dead Ends Become New Paths. Harvard Business School Press, 2007.

2. Butler T. Getting Unstuck: a Guide to Discovering Your next Career Path. Harvard Business Press, 2010.

3. Doyle A. “Top 10 Warning Signs You Need a New Job.” The Balance Careers, The Balance Careers, www.thebalancecareers.com/top-warning-signs-you-need-a-new-job-2063029.

4. Hannon K. What's next?: Follow Your Passion and Find Your Dream Job. Chronicle Books, 2010.

5. Scazzero G, Scazzero P. I Quit!: Stop Pretending Everything Is Fine and Change Your Life. Zondervan, 2010.