5 Signs It's Time for a Career Change

Posted on March 04, 2013 by Kim Meninger, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.

Many professionals consider a career change at one point or another. Some experience a rough patch in their current careers and begin to wonder if a new career direction would be a better fit. Others struggle to find work in their current field and debate pursuing something new. Still others secretly harbor a dream job that they’ve never had the courage or opportunity to explore.

How do you know when it’s the right time to make a career change? This can be a difficult question to answer and may require some soul searching. Making a change, under any circumstances, can be challenging, so it’s important to make a career change for the right reasons.

Here are 5 signs that it may be time to consider a career change.

1. Your work doesn’t maximize your strengths.
We all possess unique skills, talents, and experiences that differentiate us from others. When given the opportunity to express these strengths, we add greater value, experience greater challenges, and, often, receive greater rewards. If your job does not fully leverage your strengths, you are far more likely to experience boredom, dissatisfaction, and frustration. Consider exploring new opportunities in which you can more effectively apply your strengths.

2. Your work environment is toxic.
Most professionals have experienced challenges in the workplace at one time or another in the form of personality conflicts with co-workers, incompetent leadership, or questionable organizational changes. There is a difference, however, between a point-in-time issue and systemic issues that are rooted in the company’s culture. If your company has a history of treating employees disrespectfully, failing to properly address conflicts, rewarding unethical behavior, etc., it is time to consider making a career change.

3. Your work is affecting your personal life.
If your job is consistently affecting your personal life, it may be time to consider other options. Perhaps you are unable to let go of the stress and enjoy time spent with your family. Or you are working so many hours that you don’t have time for personal activities. In order to do your best work, you must take care of yourself. If your job doesn’t allow you to do that, it’s time to consider making a career change.

4. Your work lacks meaning.
“Meaningful work” means different things to different people. Only you can decide what it means to you. But if you feel disconnected from your work – if your work lacks a sense of purpose – then it’s time to consider other career options. While we can’t all do planet-saving, feel-good work, we can feel that the work we do furthers the goals of our organization and contributes to a larger mission. If this is missing, you may want to explore opportunities that offer you a greater sense of purpose.

5. You are not rewarded appropriately for your work.
In these tough economic times, when many organizations have cut back on salary increases and increased employee responsibilities, many professionals likely feel that they are not rewarded appropriately for their work. If, however, you realistically feel that your manager is taking advantage of you, you owe it to yourself to consider career options where you will be treated with respect and appreciated for your contributions.

If you recognize yourself in any of the previous scenarios, you may feel uncomfortable about the prospect of making a change. A career change does not have to be dramatic, however. You may simply want to consider seeking a role transfer or promotion internally. Or you may want to look for similar work at a new company.

If a major career change would better help you achieve your career goals, don’t feel that you have to go it alone. Take advantage of available resources, such as friends, mentors, and career coaches, to help you navigate a sometimes scary, but often rewarding change to a more successful and satisfying career.