We all know that we spend more time at work than anywhere else, so you need to be sure that you spend your time at the right company, with the right people, where you enjoy going to work each day.
Choosing to leave a job can be a very hard decision to make, particularly if you have been working with your organisation for a long time. You will have met some great people, built some strong friendships… So how do you know it’s time to move on?
Here are some classic signs:
You dread going to work.
We all get a case of Mondayitis from time to time, however if thinking about your job fills you with dread, it’s probably time to leave. Don’t keep telling yourself you’re having a bad week if what you really have is a job that’s a bad fit.
7 in 10 small businesses close their doors in the first 10 years of operation. So if you feel something is not right, there’s a good chance you’re correct. Watch for clues, like suddenly an increase in closed-door meetings, an increased number of redundancies or staff departures, people calling and chasing money. If you suspect that the business is in trouble, it may be time to leave. If you wait until the company closes, you’ll be looking for a job and competing against your former co-workers.
You don’t seem to know what’s going on.
Does it seem like you’re always the last one to hear about what’s going on at work? If you’re left out of meetings, rarely get one on one time with your manager, or you don’t get input with ideas, it could mean that your bosses see you as just a worker not as a valuable contributor. That’s bad news for your career and may mean it’s time to leave.
You’ve lost your passion.
Even if you love the company, your boss, and your co-workers, it’s not worth the effort if you hate the work. Passion is a necessary ingredient for success. If you’re unenthusiastic or even indifferent about the work you do, it’s time to reassess your career.
You have a bad boss who isn’t going anywhere.
Bosses come and go, which is why conventional wisdom says that it’s best to just wait a bad boss out. But that’s not always the right move. If you have a bad boss who’s well-liked by upper management, it may be time to leave. In addition to making you miserable every day, a two-faced manager who’s loved by the higher ups can wreak havoc on your career by taking credit for your work, bad-mouthing you to others, and blaming you for things that go wrong.
There’s no room for advancement.
It’s easy to get stuck in a job and, if you love what you’re doing, getting stuck can be comfortable. However, it’s important to remember that every job should enhance your skills, and add to your value as an employee. If you’re not learning anything new, and are just puttering around doing the same old thing while people around you get promotions and plum assignments, it’s time to look elsewhere.
Your health is suffering.
No paycheck is worth sacrificing your health. Job stress can lead to depression, insomnia, headaches, frequent illness, and worse. Don’t let this happen to you.
Your personal life is suffering.
Whether you work too many hours or you’re stressed and miserable when you come home, it’s time to leave when your job starts affecting your personal life.
Bringing it all together
Staying in a bad job for too long can be very harmful to your career. If you’ve tried everything you can think of to make things better and haven’t seen any big changes, it may be time to move on.
If you do decide to leave, be smart about it. Don’t burn bridges by venting about all of the reasons you’re leaving. That accomplishes nothing, and could even haunt you later. Instead, simply explain that you’re leaving to pursue another opportunity, and then do so graciously.