The snooze alarm has gone off for the third time and still you can’t get up. You step into the entrance of your workplace and want to leg it. You feel like throwing a sickie once a week. If you have any of these symptoms it may be time to change your job.
The lifetime of a job is getting shorter and most people move every three to four years. “To develop your career you have to keep moving but you have to move at the right time”, says Simon Broomer, director at Career Balance.
Telltale signs
Unhappiness may show in a non specific ‘I’m not happy with my job’, or feeling you can’t face the commute or don't want to tell people what you do for a living. All these should prompt some analysis rather than a whinge.
Even if you are content, any of the following work events should ring alarm bells:
Someone gets promoted over you
Your boss is ignoring you
You’re not being invited to meetings or included on email
A younger person joins and becomes the golden boy
Lots of people leave the company suddenly
You haven't learnt anything new in the past year
Objectivity
Incidents like these are not a green light to hand in your resignation but they should prompt you to re-evaluate.
It’s important to stay objective. “Men are great at talking up their jobs and putting on a show of bravado,” says Rob Yeung, chartered psychologist and director of Talentspace.
Don’t be taken in by other people’s claims about their working life or you’ll be a victim of ‘the grass is greener’ thinking.
Diary man
“Keep a diary for two or three weeks and note when your job is good and when it is crap” suggests Mike Duckett. This is a good way of spotting aspects of your work that conflict with your values and will make you unhappy long term.
If you’re a straight talking, honest person, you’re unlikely to do well in the diplomatic services. It’s a good method to check whether you are suited for this line of work and just need a different challenge or culture.
