It’s that time of year again…when everyone loves to talk about the past year – or decade – and how amazing the next one will be. Maybe your life goals are smaller than the masses on social media, or maybe, like me, you would prefer to steer away from all of the resolution and reflection talk. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a good time to assess your career and think through any signs that could be pointing towards making a job or career change.
Here are 20 signs you need to find a new job in 2020:
- You countdown to the weekend. Sometimes, we have hard projects or schedules, so it’s normal to look forward to a break. But holding on tight to just make it to the weekend every week is a bit of a different story.
- Work troubles dominate your conversations. It’s fun to troubleshoot different projects, and everyone goes through seasons of work that need to be discussed with our friends and families. But a season is about three months. If your “season” is longer than that, then you’re working in the wrong environment.
- You are underpaid. Unless you work for the mafia, or your employer paid for your schooling, you do not owe your employer anything. Unless you love everything else about your job, then begin looking for other options.
- You are in an underpaid career. Maybe your career trajectory does not support your lifestyle demands. I’m not talking about cutting back on coffee trips or cruises…I’m talking about the actual cost of living in your area compared to the current salary or projected salary in your field. It might be time to look for ways to leverage what you know in order to work your way into another field that will allow you to pay your rent or mortgage with room to spare.
- Sleep issues. When stress is high, sleep is often impacted. We are designed to need sleep in order to function. If your job is the reason your sleep is poor, it will have long term ramifications on your health that will take years to correct. Don’t ignore this.
- Changed eating habits. My eating increases during high stress. If only I had the metabolism to match it, it wouldn’t be an issue. For others, stress leads to a suppressed appetite. It’s normal for jobs to impact our lifestyle and habits; however, just like sleep, diet has a subtle impact that has lasting effects on longevity and enjoyment of life.
- Monday makes you feel nauseous. We all want the weekend life to continue on just a little bit longer, but it’s a bit different if the thought of Monday brings feelings of stress or illness.
- No one in your office inspires you. It is hard to avoid becoming like the people who surround us. Surround yourself with people who inspire and motivate you. It should be concerning if there’s no one in your office who can serve as a mentor for you.
- Commuting drains every non-working hour in your life. We only get 24 hours in a day, and if commuting takes over an hour of our life every day without a way to redeem the time, it can put a significant drain on quality of life.
- The industry is toxic. Maybe you “made it” but just keeping your status is exhausting, and finding a trustworthy coworker is a joke. Manipulation should not be the norm.
- The “what do you do?” question terrifies you. I get it, this question is annoying in social settings, and I ask it regularly, too. But it’s less about being annoyed at this superficial question and more about always being unsure of how to answer it or being worried that your conversation might take a dark turn detailing your terrible days at work.
- Messaging ratios are out of whack. It could be a bad sign if the majority of your text messages are from your bosses/coworkers instead of family and friends. Sometimes, we have a work family culture, but sometimes, we’re surrounded by workaholics.
- It’s too hard to take a vacation. Maybe you need to work through your savior complex this year or maybe you need to consider a new job that does not bury you alive when you walk back into the office after your vacation. Jobs like that ruin the vacation you are on because of a heightened awareness of how awful the return will be.
- Work life balance is a joke. People talk about this, but you have no idea how it could ever happen for you. Even the thought of the new buzz, work life integration seems impossible.
- Your job does nothing for your resume. Sometimes we have to just pay the bills, but our jobs should grow us in our careers. As our skill sets develop, we contribute to the organization’s goals. The last thing you want to add to your resume are just a bunch of tasks in bullet format.
- Retirement is a constant dream. It’s normal to think about retirement – sometimes. But if the weekends and retirement dreams are only thing helping you show up each day, it is definitely time to make some changes.
- No one at the office asks for your opinion. It might feel nice to be left alone, but if you are always left out of the loop, it might mean that no one values what you have to contribute. If your contribution is not wanted, the organization has ceased to be a place where you can grow.
- A new job or career change is always on your mind. It is good to not jump ship too quickly or too often; however, when the desire for change is constant, do not ignore it. Even if you just spend time updating your resume and signing up for job notifications, forward progress is better than no progress.
- Sickness or physical discomfort is constant. Often our health is a great indicator that something is off in our life. Maybe it’s not the gluten that is making you sick – maybe it’s your boss Linda. If you constantly feel unwell, get headaches, catch every minor illness – it might be time to not only visit a doctor, but also visit a job board.
- Alcohol or other substances are what you crave. Nothing wrong with a drink or two, but if your job drives you to drink or engage in other activities, know that this can jeopardize your security clearance. Stress can make us do funny things that can have a long term effect on our career.
Change is hard. But sometimes, a little change can relieve a lot of stress. Stay active with your networks and watchful for job opportunities…it could be key to growth for you in 2020.
