Is It Time To Make a Job Change?

Do you find yourself wondering if it’s time to make a job change? Maybe you’re feeling bored, unmotivated, or just can’t shake your gut feeling that something needs to shift. Figuring out whether to stay or go is a tough decision, and it’s one that all of us face at some point in our careers. But knowing when it’s time for a change—and understanding the reasons behind that feeling—can make all the difference.

Of course, there are a lot of reasons for making a job change. Here are a few signs that it might be time to move on:

You like the industry that you are in but find your work boring or repetitive with no end in sight. This could mean you’ve mastered the content and/or skill set, and it’s time to grow your game. Or it could be that there’s no path forward with your current employer, and moving on is the best way to keep growing and stay motivated.

You like your company but the way your employer motivates people doesn’t resonate with you. Motivation philosophies are reflected in compensation plans, reward programs, and company culture. What motivates you at one point in your career may fall flat at another. Or it could be that you took the role without much thought about the organization’s practices around motivation. It’s common to find employers who think everyone is only motivated by money: most of my clients find this demotivating over the long haul. It’s hard to stay long-term at a place that’s misaligned with your values.

You like your colleagues but you’ve lost respect for your manager or the management of the organization. Your manager may have changed, or perhaps your opinion has shifted over time with experience. It’s hard for most people to go to work every day for someone they don’t respect. If management has changed due to a merger or leadership transition, you may feel like the company and role you signed up for no longer exist. It’s also common for companies to change strategy mid-stream, making your work feel unimportant—a highly demotivating situation.

You like your work but the quality of work being produced by your company isn’t up to par. If it’s bad enough, your own reputation could suffer by being associated with it. When you’re involved in producing something you deem subpar, motivation will be low. If the quality of work reflects poorly on you and your future prospects, a quick change might be worth? considering.

You like what you do but an ethical problem has become apparent. Some companies use questionable or illegal tactics, and if you stay after realizing this, you may lose self-respect—or worse, risk becoming implicated. If the situation is serious enough, staying on as a whistleblower could be the most ethical (albeit complicated) option.

You like your job but your company doesn’t do a good job of promoting from within. It’s not unusual to find that in order to move up, you need to move out—taking on a new job title and pay grade elsewhere. Often employees return to their original company later, at a higher level. For some organizations, this becomes the best-known strategy for advancing your career.

These are just a few of the reasons my clients have made job changes.?

One mistake you want to avoid when considering a job change is getting so focused on what’s wrong that you forget to seriously consider what makes you enjoy work in the first place. If you leap just to escape a bad boss or frustrating situation, without fully thinking it through, you may end up facing a new but equally difficult problem.

Taking the time to evaluate all the elements that matter to you—what motivates you, what your values are, and what you need from your next role—will make a big difference in the success of your job change.

Key Takeaways:

• We are idiosyncratic individuals – what works for you is very individual and changes over time.?
• Clarity takes attention. Give yourself the time and space to reflect on your current situation.
• Lack of motivation is an energy drain – life will feel better overall once your work situation is a match for you.
• It will take time and effort to discern what your next move should be.

Take a moment: what’s your takeaway? Do any of the reasons above resonate with you? Is something else bothering you about your work situation? Are you content to stay put? Is there something you can change in your current situation that would make you want to stay? Are you ready to consider moving on??

Originally published on the blog at Work/Life