Around 50 percent of Americans are unhappy in their jobs. But there’s a contradictory statement saying that 85 percent of U.S. workers are happy with their jobs; however, this happiness is highly nuanced. Among this percentage are workers that are not satisfied with their compensation, some even thinking of handing their resignation over.
Career satisfaction is important for a person’s overall happiness. If a person is not satisfied with his or her status in the company, maybe it is time to make a change. Some people find it hard to decide if they should make the shift or not. Talking to a life coach online is one way to help a person make a decision; looking at the telltale signs for a career shift is another.
Signs For a Career Shift
The best way to tell that a person needs to change jobs is if he or she is no longer happy. However, happiness is relative; one may just be exhausted from a busy day at work and one day isn’t enough to push for a career change. There are more specific signs and changes an employee can see in himself that are reasons to give up the current job and find another one.
Feeling apathetic
When you just don’t care anymore about how you perform on the job, it’s time to quit. A person feels apathy about his or her job when he or she cannot identify with the company’s mission and vision anymore. Nothing motivates him to accomplish projects, and it simply does not excite him anymore.
Feeling demoralized
This happens when a person feels like he is no longer making a contribution to the company. This employee feels that his skills are not being put to good use, and therefore, feels undervalued.
A person should find a career that utilizes his/ her strength; a company must also give opportunities for career advancement. By having a job that provides these, an employee becomes more excited and motivated to go to work. Being able to contribute at work also contributes greatly to a person’s self-esteem.
Feeling dread when going to work
A person feels dread when going to work for two reasons: a scary boss that makes an employee anxious or a role that is no longer fulfilling. An employee who experiences this no longer has the drive to go to work, or just forces himself to show up at the office. But there is no more excitement and happiness, only a feeling of dissatisfaction.
Money can no longer buy happiness
Some people say that everyone has a price; some employees stay at a job they do not really like just because the pay is good. But when even a good salary is no longer enough to make an employee happy, it is time to make the shift.
No more work-life balance
A career is meant to improve a person’s life, not make it miserable. When work starts to affect a person’s physical and mental health negatively, it is time to make a change. Of course, stress is part of a job, but it should only be a healthy amount of stress.
Chronic stress can impact a person as well as those around him. When a person is too stressed, he can become bitter and unhappy. Personal relationships may also be ruined because a career is starting to take over one’s life.
Taking the Leap
When a person identifies with the signs mentioned above, it is time to take the leap. There are specific things that a person can do when doing a career shift, and it involves properly and meticulously assessing what went wrong with the current or previous job.
What didn’t work?
Before taking the leap, it is necessary to assess what causes an employee’s dread and distress in the current job. This is important because a person may be enjoying the job he’s doing; he just finds it hard to work well with the team he’s in. If this is the case, shifting teams may be an easier remedy.
However, if a person no longer enjoys the job and finds himself unable to perform, grow, and be excited about the job, a career shift is a good option.
What are your core values?
A person may find it hard to collaborate with a team that has a different set of values. These values are greatly influenced by the company culture. When finding another career, assess which values worked for you in your current role and which did not. Finding a company that corresponds to your set of values is crucial to have a comfortable working environment.
What are your strengths?
You’re leaving your job because you think that your skills and strengths are not being properly utilized. Hence, when finding a new one, pick a job that will play to these strengths. Therefore, you must be able to identify which particular strengths you can contribute to the new company; a person also has transferable skill sets that he or she has acquired in the previous job and use in the new one.