10 Warning Signs It’s Time to Find a New Job

Many people have ambivalence toward their job at some time in their professional lives. The primary warning indications that it’s time to quit your work are the red flags that you need to be on the lookout for. When you see a warning sign, it may be time to take a hard look at your profession and where you want to go from there.

But how can you tell when it’s actually time to look for a new position? Here are ten clear signals that it’s time to change careers if you’re a mid-career professional who has been considering it.

1. Your health is being compromised

According to Gallup, employees were roughly twice as likely to move employment than those who were doing well in their lives. High levels of burnout are affecting managers in particular. Given that managers have the greatest influence on employee engagement, this tendency is particularly troubling. Therefore, it could be time to find new employment if you discover that your role is having a bad impact on your physical or mental health.

2. A layoff or furlough appears to be imminent

The world has entered a spiral as a result of COVID-19, and the impact on the economy as a whole has been shocking. If your industry is particularly vulnerable to the pandemic’s detrimental economic effects, it could be time to start looking for a new job that can more readily withstand the storm.

But how do you know when a layoff or furlough is coming? How will you know when the HR support department is going to make that announcement? It’s a good sign that, at the very least, things are unstable if your coworkers are being let go or put on furlough, or if your competitors in the industry are taking severe action. Similar to this, further indications of impending change include:

• Your workload has greatly diminished.
• The economy has slowed down generally.
• Key accounts are having financial difficulties or have stopped being clients.

Consider starting your job search sooner rather than later if you find any (or all) of these things occurring at work, especially given the present job market.

3. The office is poisonous

You most likely work in a toxic environment if it has a negative impact on your coworkers. Your career development can be hampered by a toxic culture, and your emotional and physical health may also be harmed. If you discover that your workplace tolerates bullying, has low morale, or doesn’t appreciate your contribution, you might want to look into your alternative options.

4. There is no chance for career progression

Do you frequently question how long you have been working at your current position? You can be feeling stuck since there isn’t any room for career advancement. Avoid committing a lot of time to a job that doesn’t provide room for advancement. It may be time to seek elsewhere if you are consistently denied a promotion despite being a good performer.

5. It feels like Sunday night every night

Do you frequently consider “greener pastures”? Are you experiencing worry or tension because you have to report to work every day the next day? You may remember feeling anxiety on Sunday nights as a child because you knew that the next day was the first day of school. You still feel the same way about employment as an adult.

If you receive little positive feedback, work in a poor atmosphere, or have few supportive coworkers or bosses, you might feel underappreciated. However, it might be time to dust off your resume when every night starts to seem like a Sunday night (and every morning at work feels like a Monday morning).

6. You are not compensated fairly

A warning sign is when you are overqualified but underpaid. Before you start looking for new employment, try to negotiate higher compensation. Make a case for pay based on your contributions and value by doing some research. It could be time to go if you find it difficult to make ends meet on your current pay but are aware that you could make more elsewhere.

7. Work flexibility does not exist

The majority of enterprises now operate remotely as a result of COVID-19. Even if you might appreciate working from home right now, it’s possible that your employer didn’t give much in the way of workplace flexibility in the past and has announced that staff members will soon be going back to the office. You don’t look forward to returning to your commute, and the lack of flexibility makes it challenging to handle children and life’s unforeseen circumstances.

It could be time to look for a new job if you’re concerned that any increased flexibility won’t persist and that discussions about permanent remote employment will fail.

8. Your level of productivity at work is slipping

Do you realize that your level of excitement for your work has substantially decreased and that there is unquestionably an opportunity for improvement? It may be time to discuss this with your employer to see if you can come up with a solution together. Depending on how that goes, decide what your next course of action will be if you feel like you are simply going through the motions every day at work. Give it some time, but don’t let it become worse. Set deadlines for yourself, and as you make progress, adjust your plans.

9. You want to change careers

Perhaps you’ve always secretly wished you were a web designer, or perhaps you enjoy helping out at the local animal shelter. Whatever it may be, your motivation at work these days comes from the prospect of a new profession. And if that’s the case, it’s definitely time for you to make the move to your new career by taking the essential actions.

10. You are unable to be your true self

Over the course of a lifetime, the average person spends 90,000 hours at work. It would be good to be yourself during that moment, wouldn’t it? Burnout and sadness can result from being inauthentic. However, feeling comfortable being oneself at work enhances employee empowerment, relationships, trust, and enjoyment. If that isn’t the case, it might be time to start looking for a new job.

Do any of these symptoms in this post ring a bell? If they do, you might want to take another look at your employment situation. Take the time to plan your next move rather than immediately quitting. You’ll come off as a more desirable prospect and be able to part ways amicably.