Once you have been in the same job for many years, you might begin to feel unmotivated and ready for a challenge elsewhere, which is when a lot of people start to wonder about changing positions. Your motivations and goals are bound to change throughout your career, but how do you know if it’s time to start looking for a new role? Below, we have listed five of the key ways of knowing that it’s time to start the job search.
- You’re Ready for Bigger and Better Things - Though the role might have excited and challenged you at first, this could have changed as you developed professionally. You might not feel as though you have outgrown the role, and that you are ready for something new. This is often something that you can achieve by asking for more responsibilities or being offered a promotion, but that’s not always possible. Eventually, you might need to prioritise your professional development by changing jobs.
- The Business’ Goals Don’t Align With Your Own - When you started your role, you probably felt proud to be associated with a new brand, and you probably agreed with its ethos, goals and aims. However, this can change over time, and workplaces evolve. You might now be feeling as though it’s not the same workplace as it once was. This could be due to a change in management, or the business could operate differently now to how it used to. If this is the case, the job might no longer be a good fit for you.
- You Feel Underappreciated - If you have been overlooked for a promotion once or twice, or you’re not feeling valued at work, your motivation can fade and you’re less likely to feel appreciated as a member of the team. You’re not going to want to go above and beyond at work if you feel as though it’s going to go unnoticed. It’s important to feel as though you are valued and needed at work, and lacking this could be a sign that it’s time to move onto pastures new.
- You Feel Stressed and Snappy - Feeling stressed and irritable at work could be a sign that you’re unhappy, and changing jobs could be what’s needed. It’s a lot easier to feel stressed and unhappy when something isn’t quite right at work, even if your workload is manageable. You’re more likely to feel annoyed when things go wrong, and stressed when your task load is building up. This can impact your happiness, health and wellbeing, and should be addressed.
- You’re Counting Down Until Hometime - When you first start a job, you usually feel excited, and you’re more than happy to put in the extra hours. If that is no longer the case, and you find yourself counting down the minutes until it’s time to leave, you might want to consider looking for a role elsewhere. You should feel excited and motivated at work, not ready to leave the moment you arrive.