Knowing When To Leave Your Job

imagesYou may be at this job now for sometime. Coming into the office at the same time, looking out of the same view from your cubicle or having the same conversations with your co-workers or sorting through the piles of work that keep accumulating on your desk just as you’ve always done. You might like the way you handle your workflow and have settled into a comfortable routine at work. Or, you may feel like there is no better way to approach your work and you feel that no matter what you do there is just no way out of this miserable situation. Comfort is one thing but when bitterness and discord set in it might be time to take a look at your job to see if it’s time to make a move.

Here are some not so subtle queues that tell you it’s time to move on.

  1. Living For Your PTO– when you are more concerned with how much paid time off is in your account, and you are looking forward to summer Fridays it might be time to evaluate just how much you like being at work? Your job comes with a lot of perks but counting the number of days until your next paid break might give you a clue that you like being away from the office more than you like being in the office. When you can’t get enough “downtime” it might be time to pack the bags and move on.
  2. Faking It Until Making It – Going through the motions of your job like it’s a carefully scripted reality show might feel like it’s a genuine reflection of your work ethic but others can see through the façade. You may have gotten so bored with your duties that you feel like you have to justify every task, every email, every event as if your life depended on it. When you feel like your job performance is worthy of an Academy Award then it might be time to look for a role that suits your true personality and not the pretend one you choose to play at work.
  3. Title, Title, Title– If you find you are spending more time worrying about the grammatical structure of your job title, how your title compares with your peers or how you should reflect your title on a business card, chances are you are spending time evaluating the wrong things. You may feel like you need a raise or are operating well below your pay grade, but when you are more concerned with how you look than what you do-it’s time to make a move.
  4. A Little Too Obvious – You may think it’s politically correct to be open and transparent about your career path and what you’d like to accomplish. But when you take it a little too far like verbally discussing your interview schedule with competitive companies with your co-workers, leave copies of your resume on your desk for all who pass by to see or talk about the new “work clothes” you need to buy just in case you get an offer, you might be feeling a little too relaxed in your work environment to give a care about how you come across to your co-workers. If you spend more time looking for a job then focusing on the one you have, then you definitely know it’s time to get out of there before someone pushes you out!
  5. Memory Lane – When you find yourself spending more time recanting the many titles, positions and jobs you have held in your illustrious career and have more interest in talking about your experience, skills and professional history rather than focus on the skills you bring to the table in your current position, then maybe it’s time you pack up your knapsack and head out the door.

It’s not an indictment if you no longer care or want to be in your current job. You may need to make sure your financial needs are met, but at the end of the day you should be honest with yourself about what you want from your career and if you are in the right job. If you come to the conclusion that you are just not happy, stop complaining and making unnecessary excuses and get up and out and find another job! Don’t waste anymore of your valuable time and start focusing on a prosperous future instead of your current situation.

Looking for a job?  Find us at www.greenlightjobs.com

Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/lisakayeglj

Follow greenlightjobs on Twitter http://twitter.com/greenlightjobs

And, on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/pub/2/abb/50


Copyright © 2024 Lisa Kaye - HR & Business Consulting - The Career Rebel

Share This: