Unhappy in Your Career? 10 Signs it’s Time for a Change

it's time for a change

If you feel like you are stuck in a dead end job, it could be time to try something new. You might have big plans for the future, but if your current job leads nowhere, you might end up feeling more and more dissatisfied with your daily routine.

If that’s you, then you should pay attention to the signs. Maybe all you need is a career change to live a happier and fuller life. But it can be difficult to decide to quit a job, especially if you’ve been doing it for a long while.

However, you should not despair. The journey to professional success is often confusing, but many people make it big by following their dreams. Read on to find out 10 critical signs that it’s time for a change.

1. Boredom

Everyone feels a pang of boredom at work every once in a while. Workplace boredom is common and often harmless. However, too much boredom can lead to depression and even physical sickness!

If your boredom is overwhelming and impacts your mood even after work hours are over, you should really think about a career change.

Being too bored can tire you and make you lose the rest of the day trying to recover. For many people, an exhausting job is preferable to a boring one. Both eat up willpower, but boredom can slowly erode your motivation to get out of bed and drive to work.

2. Physical Exhaustion

Some jobs are physically demanding. Whether you have to type five thousand words or operate lift cranes, there are certain physical limits you must never break.

If you are experiencing physical exhaustion from work that spills over to your everyday life then perhaps it is time to reconsider your choices.

Overworking can lead to physical exhaustion too. In Japan, the term “Karoshi” refers to death by working too much and it’s a real problem! If you are not getting enough sleep, feeling exhausted, and struggle to concentrate, you should slow down and consider a career change.

3. General Apathy

Sometimes work is so uninteresting you can’t even get bored. This general apathy is difficult to pinpoint, and it’s often mild enough to ignore. Nonetheless, it can switch off your brain and make you feel as if you are losing your life in your current job.

If you are feeling like you are operating on autopilot and do everything with zero motivation or originality, then you should consider a career change. Apathy is not deadly, but it is the true meaning of meaninglessness. You don’t want this in your life.

4. Low Pay

Maybe you just need more money. A good salary is one of the biggest factors in employee satisfaction. It’s no shame if you are not satisfied with yours.

Your boss pays you a salary that reflects the market conditions, but you might feel it like a measure of your own value. With inflation and rising prices, your salary will feel more and more inadequate to fulfill your needs.

Many people choose to change jobs just before they get married. They do this to find better salaries to support the demands of married life. Married or single, you have some expenditures you have to take care of.

If your salary is not enough to support your lifestyle, you will have financial problems down the road. Even if you are unsure, if the numbers don’t add up, you will be faced with a career choice when the money runs out.

Whatever the case, it is much more satisfying to get a salary that is higher than the industry standard. If that’s not the case, then maybe it’s time for a change.

5. No Possibility for Advancement

Maybe you have climbed as high as you can go in your current job. Job problems are a reality even for managers and c-suite executives. If your job gives you no more possibility to advance, it may end up feeling like a dead end for you.

Things become even harder if you hold a fairly high position in your current job. If you quit, you might not be able to find a similar position easily. However, a lower position with more promise for advancement might be better than a dead end managerial position.

The choice is up to you, but a career that gives you the option to go higher will keep you motivated and satisfied a lot more than the same old year in, year out.

6. You are Overqualified

If you are holding tons of job certifications that just go to waste in your current position, you may be wasting your potential. Being too qualified for a job is a major cause of job dissatisfaction.

Maybe you are more qualified than everyone else and that is why you end up doing all the difficult tasks. Having to do all the legwork because you are the one with the most certificates will slowly but surely annoy you in the long run.

On the other hand, you may still need a key job certificate to make the leap to another career. If that is the case, then you should look into trade schools. Search for trade schools near me and prepare yourself for career advancement!

7. You Want a Different Career

If you find yourself constantly dreaming about doing something else, you won’t be able to keep up with your current routine for much longer. Perhaps you want to launch your own business, try your hand at freelancing, or just follow your dreams to be an artist.

Whatever you want to pursue, if your current job is in a different field, you might feel stuck in your everyday routine.

Do you constantly Google for new job opportunities and scout promising companies that could plausibly take you on? If that’s the case, then you have already made the most difficult step towards changing careers.

If you read about successful professionals and people you admire in different industries, perhaps it is time to join them.

Another telltale sign is if you are embarrassed to tell people what you do for a living at social events. If you feel uncomfortable with your career, it’s time for a change.

8. Jealousy

Are you jealous of your friends’ careers? Jealousy is a negative emotion, but if you experience it about other peoples’ jobs, perhaps it’s a key signal you need to quit yours.

If you feel bitter about your career choices and see your friends as happier or more successful, then you need to consider a change.

Feeling jealousy about another person’s job can take many forms. You may be jealous of their salaries, of their work cultures, or perhaps of the lifestyle their jobs allow them to live. Maybe your neo-hippie freelancer friend is making less than you, but working barefoot on a laptop at the beach while sipping cocktails is something that makes you jealous!

If you find yourself constantly comparing and examining your friends’ jobs, or if you are jealous of their career choices, maybe you have to consider following their example.

9. Your Talent is Not Valued

When your talent is not valued at work, it is impossible to keep giving your best. Sometimes you know you can do more, but if your boss is not leveraging your skills, then you might be better off at another job.

All of us have a tremendous potential for success we can realize if we do something we love with passion. Sadly, most people sell themselves short and don’t value themselves as much as they should.

You probably have many talents you are proud of. Do you have the chance to use them in your everyday work? If the answer is no, then you should consider a career that allows your full potential to flourish.

10. You Just Want to Try Something Different

Finally, maybe it’s time for a change and there is nothing else to it. Sometimes it’s a combination of factors that just make it impossible to stay in the same career forever.

A new job can give you the excitement and passion you might be missing from your everyday life. Perhaps taking the small risk to try something different will land you a dream job with a huge salary and meaningful contributions to society.

Thing is, you won’t know unless you try, so if you are feeling adventurous, perhaps you should follow your impulse to a new career!

If It’s Time for a Change, We’ve Got You Covered

Self-improvement can give you the power to realize your dream. If you think it’s time for a change, then you need the tools to make it happen. Here at BigStridz, we help people like you on their way to self-discovery and improvement.

We offer tons of useful tips, detailed guides, and expert advice that empowers our readers to live the life they deserve. Come on in and take the first step towards a happier and more confident future. You can do it!