It’s hard to know when to start looking for greener pastures, particularly when it comes to leaving your job. In an ideal world, employees would stay with their employers for the length of their careers. However, in today’s modern work environment, this is much rarer. But if everyone quit their job the minute, they got frustrated or felt stuck, and no one would stay in one job for long. Doing so without having good reason can have long term adverse effects on your overall career.
But that doesn’t mean that it’s never time to find a new job, just that you need to be strategic when planning your career. Here are several of the key signs you should be on the lookout for that will signal when the time is right to find a new job.
Unfair Treatment from Others
Your boss’ top concern should be in getting the work done right, and treating employees fairly and transparently is the only way to do that with integrity. If you are receiving unfair treatment from your boss, or others in the company, that’s a sure sign that you’re not in a supportive work environment. This can be stressful for you and even harmful for your career in the long run. Always be aware that there are many, many great bosses out there eager to hire employees who do great work. If you’re not getting the treatment, you deserve at your current job, and it’s time to move on to the next.
Not Feeling Heard, Ever
If your boss won’t seem to listen at all, that’s a problem. A boss’ job is to enable you to do your job, provide you with the resources you need to accomplish those goals, and the guidance to help you overcome any obstacles that come along in the mean-time. But if they are not open to hearing about the work or the obstacles from the ground, that shows a clear breakdown in management and communication. If you are at a point where you feel your words are falling on deaf ears, it’s time to try something else.
Often Feeling Stressed and Tired
If you find that you’re dragging your feet on the way into work when once you used to wake up excited to tackle the day, that’s an important indicator that you are suffering from work stress. Lack of sleep or frequent bouts of irritability or even depression also can point to more significant problems than general workplace boredom. Rising stress levels, indicated by anything from changes in your mood to your immune system, can have serious health consequences when sustained for the long term. If you are feeling that your body is crying out for a change, listen. Rarely will the moment to change jobs be so clear to you.
You No Longer Believe in the Company
Inevitably, motivation wanes in a job. Sometimes when you begin working with a company, your outlook can seem full of possibilities, and you are proud to identify yourself as an employee. But if you are noticing a change in the office atmosphere that hinders your belief or confidence in the overall organization, that can be a red flag. Perhaps the company has taken on some strategic decisions that don’t align with your values. Maybe they are just failing to live up to their corporate mission. A lack of shared values can be a powerful motivator, so if you are finding that working for your company doesn’t sit right with you anymore, explore that feeling because there may be other indicators that it’s better to move on.
Find Your New Job with ESGI
When the time is right for you to find a new job, our team of recruiters can help light the way to future job search successes.
