It’s summertime, so we’re all feeling a bit antsy; however, how do you know if your inability to focus at work is a harmless side effect of warmer temps or a warning signal that it’s time to reconsider your career? Here, nine sure signs it’s the latter, and that it may be time to refresh your resume.
Giving Notice
If there are no goals to work for within your job, and no rewards to go along with reaching them, you will lose steam quickly. Do a gut check to see if you are looking forward to any future outcome that may result from continuing to do your job well. If you aren't, it's time to pack up your desk.
Everyone dreads Sunday nights a little bit, as most people would prefer to be doing fun things, or no things at all, to working. That said, if you find yourself intensely or acutely anxious before your work week starts, it's probably a sign that you need to explore other options.
If you're working a stressful job that doesn't suit you, chances are the misery will manifest itself somewhere in your body before you're even fully aware of the need for change. A sudden bout of chronic stomaches is likely a sure sign it's time to move on, stat.
There's no reason to go down with a sinking ship unless you're its captain, so if it feels like your company might be headed out of business, you'll want to get out ASAP. Flailing companies are stressful environments, and persistent exposure to the anxiety of potential job loss will take its toll on your health.
A little complaining is normal, but if you find yourself regaling every person who crosses your path with horror stories about your boss, it's time to move on. If your boss is in any way abusive and/or never thanks you for your work, don't complain, quit.
It's there, piling up in your inbox, but you just can't seem to muster up the energy to tackle the work assigned to you. This likely signifies a lack of passion, and there's no easy fix for the problem. Unless you feel that you can approach your boss to vary your tasks, take on new projects, or move into a different position within the company, it's probably time to refresh your resume.
Your position should evolve with your experience, and if it doesn't, it's time to move elsewhere—you should not be doing the same tasks two years into a job that you were doing when you first hired.
On the flip side, if your workload has increased or advanced but your pay and title have not, it is probably time to look for a new gig. It's often easier to change titles and increase your pay by switching jobs than it is to move up from within.
In the long span of a career, it's likely you'll encounter this phenomenon at least once. If you spend your time at work daydreaming about what it would be like to walk into your boss's office and quit, chances are you should stop thinking about it and just do it.
