7 Signs You Need a New Job

The saying goes “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.”

How wonderful for people who actually achieve that in their lives. However, for most of us, you are extremely lucky if you work at something that you’re good at, make a decent living, can see yourself doing this for the rest of your career and work with colleagues who aren’t crazy! In the afterglow of celebrating a new year, perhaps it’s time to take stock of where you are in your career and if you are in fact, in the right place for using your talent and strengths.

For many of us, the first job is kind of like a party. We get ready for work in anticipation of a great event. You dress to present your best and most attractive self, (unless you work in advertising – yes, I’ve seen it all as a hiring manager in a global ad agency) and we all try to contribute to the productive atmosphere. But, if you are starting to feel the party’s over and it’s time to leave, the best time to go is while you are still having fun and can leave your hosts thinking it was great to have you there. You never want things to get ugly!

So what are the signs that you’ve overstayed and it’s time to move on? If you’ve stopped having fun and your mantra is “at least it pays the bills,” get out of there!!!

Let’s look at some key signs:

1. You hate getting up in the morning and dread Sundays in anticipation of rolling out Monday morning.
2. You feel like you’re coming down with something ALL THE TIME!
3. You watch the clock and constantly ask yourself….”what am I doing with my life?”
4. You’ve stopped learning anything new because you feel so off track from where you thought you’d be!
5. You only do what is absolutely necessary on the job, and you spend more time searching for vacation deals online than completing actual work.
6. You’re irritable all day and eat too much or drink too much to try to dull the constant sense of frustration and panic.
7. You feel under-compensated for the work you do and are convinced it’s everyone’s fault but yours!

Sound like anyone you know? These are signs of trouble you can’t afford to ignore. Now, how do you take control of this situation and get moving?

First, take baby steps. Making giant moves without a plan can lead to disaster! Take a deep breath and find a spot where you can bring it down a notch. Start thinking about small wins you can create for yourself that will help you build a game plan that improves your choices and 
creates some positive momentum.

If and when you decide it’s time to go, you need to avoid falling into unprofessional behavior while you start looking for a new and better job. No matter how difficult it gets at times, you always want to go on your terms and leave the same good (or better!) impression that got you hired in the first place.