9 Signs It’s Time to Look for a New Job

Very few of us enjoy work absolutely all the time, but if it gets to the point that we are not enjoying it any of the time, then it may be time to look for a new job.

If enough of the following nine signs start to stack up, you need to be dusting off your CV. Changing jobs is a regular occurrence, but you need to be sure that you are doing it for the right reasons. Here are nine signs that a move may be imminent:

You can’t find motivation for the most straightforward task. When nothing excites you at work, and you feel like you are going through the motions, you owe it to yourself to change something. Strive to change if the problem lies within, but otherwise, look for a job that will offer a different set of challenges. Moving to the same kind of role likely won’t help. 

Work is full of routine and devoid of challenge. There is nothing worse than feeling bored – time drags on, and every hour feels the same. Certainly time to look for a new job. Your lack of motivation will infect your colleagues, and suddenly you are the toxic one in the team. If your work is full of routine, you need to find some challenges – in your current company or with a new one.

When is it time to look?

Your stress levels are affecting your health. When you are stressed, you overeat, drink too much (alcohol), stop exercising and neglect every critical aspect of your health. Your sleep patterns will be disrupted, and your immune system will take a battering from the constant worry. You only live once – don’t let constant work worries get you down.

You keep fantasising about making a change. If your thoughts are dominated by dreams of pastures new and your conversations are dominated by complaints about work, you should act on your instincts. Your mind is saying it is time to look for a new job for many reasons – fighting the compulsion to leave is an act of willful self-harm.

Relationships with boss and/or colleagues are deteriorating. A toxic work environment is a leading cause of mental health issues. It doesn’t matter where the fault lies for the breakdown. If your relationships constantly feel on edge, you will not be able to do your best work. Working with like-minded people is vital for job satisfaction.

The company is struggling, and your job description changes. If your workload decreases or increases, you can be sure that change is on the horizon. Consider the signs of how your company is doing, look at how competitors are faring and consider whether you might choose to move to a more stable industry. 

You are being shut out, passed over and undermined. Company culture and work relationships can shift for so many reasons. If you choose not to “play the game” for whatever reason, you can quickly become an outsider. Sadly, it is easy to feel alone in a busy office full of people. Office politics can be cruel, so find a kinder place to work.

New job here we come

You have hit a brick wall in your personal development. If you get to the point that you have learned everything that you can, and an internal move is not on the cards, spreading your wings elsewhere will allow you to keep growing. If the thought of a new role makes your heart skip a beat, then make the time to look for a new job.

Performance management procedures ramp up, and redundancies loom. If you get an unexpectedly poor review out of the blue, your employer may be preparing the ground for redundancies along the line. On the other hand, if you genuinely aren’t performing, it might be a case of quitting or being fired. It is best to move when you are in control in either case.

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This blog is shared with Job Seeker Duetists. 

Written by former recruitment ghostwriter Paul Drury (not AI).