We’ve all had moments where we’ve been disenchanted with our jobs. But before you reach for the phone and call an executive recruiter, you need to figure out if it was fleeting frustration, or an entrenched dissatisfaction.
Here are ten signs your job isn’t the right fit.
1. Trouble Getting Out of Bed. This may seem silly, but if you’re not excited to head out in the morning, it might be because you have nothing to look forward to during the day. Which means it might be time to update your resume.
2. Few Friends at Work. It’s not necessary for your best friends to be from work. But if you never socialize with co-workers and you have no particular interest in doing so, it may be a sign that you’re a bad match, personality and culture-wise, for your office.
3. Done It All Before. Do you feel like every assignment you get is just a re-hash of something you’ve already done? As any executive recruiter will tell you, you need fresh challenges if you’re to grow as a professional. If you’re not getting them, it may be time to look elsewhere.
4. Seldom Get Lost in the Process. How often do you hunker down on a four-hour project and have time zip by? If the answer is “rarely”, it’s a bad sign. In other words, if you’ve never skipped lunch because you were so intent on what you were doing, it probably means you should be doing something else.
5. Fantasize About Working Elsewhere. Happy employees seldom dream about working for rival companies. If you’re already regularly contemplating calling an executive recruiter, that’s probably just what you should do.
6. Can’t Think of One Aspect of Your Job You Like. Everyone has unpleasant aspects to their job. But when someone asks you what you like about your job, do you have an answer? Or, instead do you have an excessively long list of dislikes – one that encompasses almost your entire job description?
7. Unexcited About the Possibility for Promotion. Do you view a possible promotion as being roped further into the company, rather than as a great opportunity? When you see your boss, are you simply glad you don’t have her job? If so, it doesn’t sound like your current situation is right for you.
8. Think About Vacation Constantly. It’s natural to think about your vacation, particularly if it’s coming up. But are you obsessing over a vacation that’s six months away? If you’re clinging to that vacation like it’s all you’ve got, you may want to start looking at other positions.
9. Uninterested in the Company’s Mission. Your colleagues think your company’s mission is important. You don’t. If you’re not galvanized by your company’s goals, you’re not going to do your best work. Instead, you should talk with a recruiter about a company that more closely aligns with your interests.
10. Wish You Were At Your Old Job. If you get nostalgia about a job you were happy to leave ten months ago, it’s a classic sign that your new position isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The time might be right for a new position.
If you exhibit many of these ten symptoms on a regular basis, it might mean you’re ready for a change. If so, a great way to start is to talk with an executive recruiter about your skill set, your interests, and what career possibilities may be open to you.