Top 5 Warning Signs It’s Time To Find A New Job

It can be overwhelming to think about finding another job or potentially a career change — so we tend to avoid it altogether. Which means we often ignore the warning signs (externally and internally) that come along with complete job dissatisfaction.

So it’s time to get back in alignment with yourself and your career goals and do a gut check. Here’s some warning signs that you should be paying attention to before it gets too late.

Sunday Night Blues

There’s nothing worse than that sick feeling you get right before you go to bed on Sunday night thinking about starting a new week. We often chalk this feeling up to standard “corporate life” but news flash — this feeling is only normal if you don’t love what you do! If it’s so bad that you procrastinate going to bed and have to drag yourself to work the next morning… it’s time to bring back the joy of working again. 

You’ve Lost Respect for your leaders

Great leadership is CRITICAL in a satisfactory work environment — especially if you want a blossoming career. If you want to BECOME an exceptional leader, you have to have examples of them. And if you take a look at those above you in your current job and wouldn’t trade places with them or seek mentorship from them, then it’s important to find a new leadership structure for you to thrive in.

You’ve maxed out your learning

It’s a pretty great feeling when you’re the ONE person that everyone comes to for everything. If you’ve been at your current job for some time, this might be the case for you — and it gives you satisfaction knowing that you understand your job and organization inside and out. But take another look. Are you learning NEW things? Are you being tasked with NEW challenges? Are you still adding additional skills and knowledge to your current toolkit? If not, you may be maxed out of learning opportunities, and growing your skillset is vital to a progressing career.

productivity and motivation are low

You have always been proud of your killer work ethic, but recently, this may have changed. You may be feeling like you don’t want to meet your supervisor’s expectations, or your passion for exceeding performance goals is dim. You might also be finding yourself trying really hard to complete basic tasks, the things you used to love doing. Know that when interest is low, distraction is high, and it’s time to move on if your head and heart aren’t in the game 100%. 

When you’ve been stuck in the same role or salary for more than two years

If you have the work ethic and perseverance that I think you do, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be progressing in your career every year or two (unless you really don’t want to) — whether that’s financially (salary gains) or in responsibilities. If you haven’t made much movement in this regard, it’s important to understand why. If there’s an issue with your performance, that’s one thing, but if you have been meeting and exceeding the expectations of your role and the organization, then your progression is a must. Don’t go overlooked. Have a conversation. And if there’s little movement, it’s time to find an organization that will value you and your skills.

Next Steps

If you’ve determined you are ready for a new opportunity, don’t quit right away! There’s a strategic way of transitioning roles in a meaningful way so that you don’t burn bridges and put yourself in financial jeopardy. Take some time to figure out what you like to do, what you want to do more of, and what you DON’T want like to do.

And remember, life is too short to settle — be proactive with your career and your life so that you can live a life of choices and happiness.