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7 Signs It’s Time to Leave Your Job

7 Signs It's Time to Leave Your Job

 

 

 

There are a lot of advantages to having a great job. The pay, the security, and the benefits just to name a few. But all good things must come to an end. All bad things too, for that matter.

No matter how good or bad your job is, there are some key things to look out for that will tell you it is time to leave your job for another opportunity or to run your own business. In this article, we will look at 7 signs it’s time to leave your job.

 




 

1. You’re always bored at work

Do you find yourself daydreaming a lot while you’re working? Does your job seem so mundane that you can do it in your sleep? Extreme boredom at a job is a clear sign that it may be time to make a change.

You may be bored because you are sick and tired of doing the same thing day in and day out. The routine is killing you because you are not passionate about the same simplistic or monotonous tasks. Boredom happens when you no longer find joy or excitement in the job you are doing. If you are facing boredom consistently throughout your day, this is a sign you are ready to move on to another job or to be your own boss. 

Being occasionally bored at work is very common no matter what job you’re doing. Some studies suggest that boredom in the workplace is a good thing. However, if the boredom is something that doesn’t go away even after challenging yourself, setting new goals, or even after a promotion, you need to ask yourself if this is truly the right job for you.

 

2. Your job is no longer challenging 

One of the reasons why you may be bored at work is because the job is no longer challenging. Maybe your job is not challenging because it is too easy. Or perhaps you’re a superstar and your talent and abilities has outgrown your position. Whatever the reason, a job that is not challenging is bound to lead to dissatisfaction. 

Your brain wants to be challenged! It actually thrives when it is being challenged. Not only that, research is providing strong evidence that challenging your brain can help protect it from decay. This means that when your brain is being constantly challenged, you are actively preventing degeranting diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Studies show that to work really well, brain-boosting activities should be challenging enough that they cause some discomfort. If you are not challenging yourself outside of work, and your job is not challenging, you are not giving your brain something it craves and needs.

Once you can do something with your eyes closed it becomes both boring and like a chore. There are things that you can do to make your job more challenging such as setting new goals for yourself, helping someone else with their development, or being cross trained in another department.

 But if these things are not enough, it may be time to find another position or become an entrepreneur where you can be challenged weekly.

 

3. You’ve maxed out your earning potential 

Money isn’t everything when it comes to a career. But if one of the reasons why you took your current job was to better your financial life, then evaluating your earning potential is something you must consider when deciding if you want to stay at your current job.

I once reached a level in my operations as well as my finance career where I knew that I had maxed out my earning potential. I knew that if I wanted financial security, that I had to jump ship and land another position. 

As an entrepreneur, there is no real cap on what your business can make. There is also no cap on how much you can pay yourself from your business.  But keep in mind that there is no guaranteed income either. If you’ve maxed out your earning potential you can begin to find another job or you can take your business to the next level. 

 

4. Your level of job satisfaction has plummeted 

You may be having a great month of sales. Or perhaps your co-workers love you and so do your managers. But somehow that isn’t enough. Low job satisfaction alone isn’t always a great reason to leave your job. But, coupled with other factors, can be a strong indicator of the need to look elsewhere.

This is something that led me to leave a company that I loved to work for. I had just gotten a promotion earlier that year, my sales numbers were better than ever, and my team, managers and customers kept telling me how much they loved working with me. But it wasn’t enough.

My overall job satisfaction was gone. Perhaps it was because I was bored or wasn’t excited about the next step in my career, whatever the reason, I no longer woke up excited to go to work. 

If your job satisfaction is plummeting due to external or internal reasons, it is time to seriously consider what can be done to gain that satisfaction back. Even if it means leaving the job or taking the leap into entrepreneurship. There are several reasons why you are not satisfied with your job. Harvard Business School reported that 70% of U.S. workers sought other employment opportunities due to low wages or not enough recognition.

Here are some reasons why you may be experiencing a low job satisfaction:

  • Bad leadership-Leadership sets the tone for the company you work for. If your managers and their managers do not create an environment that makes everyone feel challenged, appreciated, and cared for, can lead to low employee satisfaction.
  •  Co-workers-Maybe you are now working with a team that you do not gel with. Or perhaps they do not have the same work ethic or work standards as you. No matter the reason, you will spend most of your week with these people so it is important that you can work happily with them.
  • Company going in a different direction– Sometimes a good company gets acquired or decides to change direction. This can make it hard on some employees who were happy with the way things were. If you truly cannot see yourself working for a company where you no longer share the same values, it may be time to look elsewhere or start your own.
  • Being underappreciated-No feeling appreciated is one of the main reasons why people leave their job. If you’ve worked hard but your employers are doing a terrible job at acknowledging it, low job satisfaction is a common result.

 

5. There is no room for career growth 

There is something beautiful and satisfying about reaching the top, but also very sobering, as you realize that there are only two places you can go; down or out.  Once you’ve reached the top, and have thrived in that position, it gets harder to maintain a level of accomplishment and satisfaction in your current position. Especially if you know that you are capable of much more.

I once had a job that I took because I wanted to advance in the company and eventually make a good income. I was in my early 20s and worked in that particular department for 8 years. I did advance a little but then I realized that there was very little advancement opportunities available. 

The bosses that were there when I got the job were still there and would most likely be there for many more years. That meant that I had reached my career and earning potential in that department. It wasn’t until I transitioned into another line of business that my career (and income) really took off.

As an entrepreneur, I’ve found that there is no cap on my growth. I first started my business as the main operator. I was responsible for everything from production to marketing. but eventually stepped back and became the leader of the business. The cool thing about entrepreneurship is that in order for your business to grow, you must grow!

 

6. Something else has captured your heart and mind

Those of us who have left our jobs for entrepreneurship know the feeling of something capturing your heart and dreams. One of the things entrepreneurs agree on is that their business usually occupies their mind. 

We spend hours thinking about strategies, reading business books and articles, and dream of the growth of our business. If you are constantly thinking about your new business or how life will be once you are running your business full-time, maybe it is time to take those steps towards the escape.

Even if you are not ready to leave your job for entrepreneurship, it may be possible that you are just ready for a career change. Maybe you are ready to leave a large company in order to work for a small startup that you are passionate about. Or perhaps you want to leave a public company and would rather join a non-profit organization.

If you find yourself wanting more out of a job than just money and security, it may be time to pursue those things. Whether that is a change in career trajectory or the pursuit of entrepreneurship, it is important not to ignore the things that have captured your heart and mind.

7. Your side business needs your full attention

When I worked in the corporate world I started several side projects that I hoped one day would replace my job. Although I had seen some success in a few of them, none of them had the potential to propel me out of corporate life.

But then one day I decided to revisit a business idea that I had pursued about 7 years prior. I bought the domain name as well as registered social media accounts for the business but never put much time into it. When I started to focus on the business for 3 months, its growth exploded.

I was seeing growth in web traffic as well as social media following. I was also being approached with awesome business partnership opportunities. The only problem was that I didn’t have the time to pursue them because of my full time job.

After several months of stretching myself thin, I finally made the decision to leave my job and run the business full-time. I knew that the only way that I could grow the business was to give it my full attention. 

If you started a business as a side hustle and are seeing fruits of your labor beginning to pay off, your business may need your full attention and focus in order to reach its full potential. Many businesses don’t get off of the ground because the entrepreneur cannot give the venture 100%. If your business is calling you and you are in a position to leave your job to dedicate your time and energy to growing that business, it may be time to cut ties to the thing that is holding you back; your job.

 

Conclusion

While there may be other reasons why you should consider leaving your job, this list will give you some things to think about. Before you make the leap and leave a good job for entrepreneurship, make sure you take into consideration all factors including how you will support yourself financially, benefits, and other perks of having a job. But if you know the time is right, make the move!

Ralph Paul on Twitter
Ralph Paul
Ralph is the Managing Editor at StartUp Mindset. The StartUp Mindset team consists of dedicated individuals and is designed to help new, seasoned, and aspiring entrepreneurs succeed.

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Ralph is the Managing Editor at StartUp Mindset. The StartUp Mindset team consists of dedicated individuals and is designed to help new, seasoned, and aspiring entrepreneurs succeed.

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