Everyone gets stuck in a dead-end job from time to time. It happens for a whole bunch of different reasons, and it’s the kind of thing that a lot of people just kind of accept without ever really thinking too hard about. But is that the way things should be? After all, do you really want to spend the rest of your life working a job that you don’t care about? Well, to answer that question, you first need to figure out what it is that’s so wrong with the job that you currently have. Here are 4 signs you need a new job:
You’re bored
If you spend every second of your work day staring at the clock, then that’s probably not a very good sign. Sure, everyone gets bored at work, even those who really love their jobs are going to have a moment from time to time where they feel like they’d rather be at home doing something else. But there’s a big difference between that and counting the seconds until you can escape from work to do literally anything else. Sometimes it’s just a matter of time-management and productivity, sometimes it’s a sign you need to leave your job. If you want to read more about being productive read Productivity and time-management myths that hold you back and check out my Crash Course Time-Management and Productivity.
You’re always tired
Work can be tiring, that’s hardly a surprise. However, a lot of people seem to make the mistaken assumption that working a nine-to-five job should always leave you feeling totally exhausted and only really able to flop down on the couch at the end of each day. Sure, any job is going to be tiring, that’s why they call it work, but a job that you love should be giving you the energy to get things done, not sapping it all away from you on a daily basis. If you feel like your energy is being drained from the moment that you step into work, then it may well be time to move onto something new.
You’re unhappy
Everyone goes through periods in their lives where they feel unhappy. It’s hardly ideal, but it’s still a reality of the world that we live in. However, working a job that makes you miserable is one of the worst things there is. Whether it’s because you feel unappreciated, you’re treated unfairly by your boss, or you feel discriminated against by your colleagues, a job that makes you unhappy can have a serious knock-on effect on the rest of your life. It can impact your relationships, cause you to resent your work, and even have a pretty significant long-term impact on your overall mental health. No matter what, no job is worth making yourself completely and totally miserable on a daily basis.
You don’t feel like it matters
Sometimes your job can be just fine. You have a nice boss, you’re paid well, you get along well with your fellow employees, but the whole thing just ends up feeling sort of pointless. This is pretty common for a lot of people who feel as though their only real purpose in the company is to make more money for their employer. And sure, that’s probably just fine for a lot of people, but there are also those who want something just a little more value from their work. Sure, earning a crust is important, but it’s also important that you feel as though there’s at least some value to what it is that you’re doing with the vast majority of your time.
Also read: how to give back as a successful career chaser
So what can you do?
Find what you really love
If you want to break out of a career that you hate is to figure out what it is that you’d be happy doing. If you spend all day feeling bored, then you’re probably looking for a job that engages your interests more. If you’re a creative type, then you’ll never be happy in a job where you don’t get to flex those muscles. If you feel as though you’re unable to really make a difference in the world, then you might be better off figuring out what you care about and then pursuing that.
Retrain
If you’ve decided to change careers, then there’s a pretty good chance that you’re going to need to start at the bottom. Spending a long time in one industry doing one kind of job means that you may be lacking in some of the skills that you need. Luckily, no matter what you want to do with your life, there are almost always training and education options available to you. Whether it’s criminal justice programs online, medical training, or simply a postgraduate study that allows you to develop and hone your skills, training and developing the skills that you’re going to need is incredibly important. Sure, starting at the bottom is hardly ideal, but it’s crucial to remember that you’re always working towards something instead of just jogging in place.
Apply your current skills
Of course, that doesn’t mean that you should just take all of the skills that you’ve spent years developing and throw them away. No matter what kind of job you’ve been doing until now there are almost certainly skills that you’ve developed that can be transferred to any new career. Things like interpersonal communication, organizational skills, computer literacy and plenty of others are the kinds of skills that are going to be valuable in any career. Make sure that you don’t discount the skills that you already have when trying to move on to something new.
Related: if you want to spruce up your communications and PR skills, check out my Crash Course PR
Forging a new career path, whether you’re moving onto a slightly new path or you’re going in an entirely new direction altogether, is never easy. In fact, it can often be one of the most difficult and intimidating things that you’ll ever do. However, if it’s something that you really care about, then it’s worth putting in that effort in order to avoid spending every single day stuck in a job that you hate and that leaves you feeling miserable at the end of every day. But for the time being, here’s how to turn around a bad day at work!
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