If you’re chronically exhausted, losing sleep, suffering from headaches, or experiencing other physical symptoms, this may be your body’s way of telling you your career is not right for you. Work should be challenging, but not debilitating. Your job is affecting your personal life.

These are clear signs that someone could use a change. While you appreciate the stability your job provides, you’re beginning to feel like you’re wasting your potential. You’ve reached Tuesday after a long weekend and you’re already marking your calendar until the next vacation day. You find yourself watching the second hand of the clock tick by during meetings. At one point you could justify staying because of the paycheck, but now, even that isn’t enough. The pay might be good, but the work is mindless and dreadful. Even your salary can’t make up for your dissatisfaction. If you find yourself this dissatisfied with your current role, it’s time to think about what other areas of work might better align with your passions. You live for the weekend, but despite your best efforts, the dread of Monday creeps in by Saturday night. Maybe the project you’re working on just doesn’t excite you, or you’re anxious about a meeting with the boss. You dread going to work.Įveryone has those days when you hit the snooze button one too many times, or it takes a little extra boost to get up and out to work. Your career should boost your self-esteem, not diminish it. It’s time to find a new role that plays to your strengths, provides opportunities to develop new skills, and allows you to make meaningful contributions. Over time you’ve stopped actively seeking out new opportunities to contribute, demoralized. You feel undervalued-like your time and talents are being wasted, and your greatest skills aren’t being put to use. Every day looks and feels identical–you’re simply performing on autopilot. Your job duties are the same day in and day out. You don’t feel like you’re making an impact. But if you can’t remember the last time you felt energized by a new idea or invigorated by your next project, it might be time to reevaluate your role.

What’s going on? The truth is, even at a job you’re passionate about, there are times when work is just going to feel like work. Mentally, you’ve checked out you’re underperforming, your deadlines are slipping, and you just can’t muster the energy to fake enthusiasm about the company’s mission anymore. You’re apathetic and complacent.Īs each day passes, you feel increasingly disconnected from your original reasons for entering the field. If you can relate to the descriptions below, keep reading to discover what you can do to get out of your rut and into the career you’ve always desired. Take this opportunity to examine your feelings toward your current role. If you’re reading this, chances are you feel the career path you’re on might not be right for you.

Understanding when it’s time to move on from your current role to pursue other passions can be a win-win for everyone. Most employers would prefer that you feel enthusiastic, engaged, and fulfilled in your role, because happy employees are more productive employees. What’s more, the notion of career fit is a two-way street. Career choices you may perceive as “missteps” often prove to be the most informative and transformational on the journey to a fulfilling career. For others, switching job functions mid-career may mean a lateral move, which can feel like a step backward-but it doesn’t have to be.Įach stage in your career provides an opportunity to learn more about yourself: your talents, interests, challenges, and workplace values. For some, it can mean deserting a stable job to head down an uncharted path. Taking action on these thoughts, however, can be daunting. So if you’re considering a career change, you’re not alone. In 2016 alone, roughly 6.2 million workers made the leap, leaving their current roles for work in an entirely different field. In fact, by age 50, the average person has held 12 different jobs in an effort to find the “right fit.” For many, this requires changing careers completely. Few people enter the workforce knowing exactly what they want to do. Finding a fulfilling career can be a long, incremental journey.

Your time for change