The average person will work for around a third of their life, and that can be a very long time indeed. When you think about it in these terms, there is very little point in sticking with a job that you don’t enjoy just because you’re afraid of trying something new or of upsetting someone by giving your notice. You need to look out for your own health, well-being, and overall happiness, and if that means quitting and trying something else, then that is what you must do.
If you’re sitting on the fence and you’re just not sure what step to take next, read on. We’ve put together some reasons why it might be time to look for a new job, and make yourself a lot happier in the process.
You Get The Sunday Night Blues… Every Night
In almost every job, no matter how much you love it, you’ll feel just a little bit down after you’ve had some time off and the next working day is coming at you. That’s simply human nature, and once you’re back in the swing of things, that feeling will disappear. If you like what you do, you won’t feel that feeling very often anyway.
If you don’t like your job, that feeling – the Sunday night blues as it is often called – will be with you every night, and you will find yourself worrying about the next day because you really don’t want to go to work. This can lead to poor sleep and stress symptoms, and you’ll be miserable and not be able to enjoy the present either. If you feel like this every night, it’s time to look for a new job that doesn’t make you feel that way.
You Need Flexible Working
Businesses are becoming more and more amenable to the idea of flexible working, or home working (or both). They understand that people have complicated lives and that being able to work flexibly will enable them to hire the best people for the job rather than the ones who can be at a certain place at the right time and stay there for a set amount of hours. In most cases, allowing flexible working is a win-win.
If your boss can’t see the benefits and won’t allow flexible working even though it would make you a more productive worker, and if you need to have a job that has flexible working as an option, then you should search for one that will give you what you need. There are plenty out there to choose from if this is your main reason for leaving.
You Aren’t Productive
If the fact that you dislike your job is starting to make your productivity suffer, then there is no point in hanging on. Not only will you make yourself more and more miserable which will then make other aspects of your life less fun including any time you spend with your family, but you won’t be able to move on in your job, making the future even less enjoyable to think about.
Everyone wants a job that they can excel in, and that they can be proud of. If you dislike what you do to such an extent that it is causing you to lose focus and not be able to complete tasks on time or to a high standard, then you definitely need to look at your resume, update it, and start sending it out along with a well thought out cover letter. Everyone will be happier if you do this, but most importantly, you will be happier.
You Can Do More
Maybe you have many years of experience, or perhaps you have a great MBA from Suffolk University. It might be that you have any number of additional qualifications that you have gained over the years. Are you using any of them? Is your experience helping you in your job?
If the answer is no then you have to realize that you are being wasted. With so much knowledge and experience that is not being utilized you will start to feel dissatisfied in your job and you’ll want to do more because you know you can do more. It is at this point that you might start searching around for something you can do with all your skills, and the range of options will surprise you. Even if you’re not quite ready to quit just yet, simply knowing that you have options can make you feel more hopeful about the future and when you are ready you can jump right in to applying for the jobs you know you can do.
You Don’t Like Your Work Colleagues
Sometimes it’s not the job itself that is the problem, it’s the people you are working with, and that becomes an even bigger issue if it is the boss themselves who you don’t get on with. When you have to spend so much time each day with people, it’s important that you all get along. You don’t have to be best friends just because you work together, but you do need to be able to be friendly and not actively dislike them. When you work in a place where you just can’t tolerate other people around you, your work will suffer and you will be miserable. If that other person happens to be your boss, you will start to begrudge doing anything that he or she asks of you, and again, your work will suffer.
If you still love your work but you don’t enjoy being with the other people in your workplace, you can search out a similar job elsewhere. If you prefer to work alone, then look for a position that allows home working, or where you can be out on the road and not sitting in an office all day. There are many different options so you don’t have to work with people you don’t like for any longer than you can manage it.
