Most people join a company with the hope of making it their home. The expectation is that you will rise through the ranks and grow in that company. However, this may not always be the case, and you may find yourself needing to change your job for one reason or another.
It is possible to be comfortable in one company and make it your permanent place. This often happens when your career goals are aligned to the growth opportunities in the company and your values are in line with those of the company as well. However, this may not always be the case and it is perfectly fine to look for other opportunities if your current job is not meeting your expectations.
While this could be the case, it could be hard to know when the time is right to jump ship. Here are a couple of instances when making that move is good for your career.
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1. When There are No More Growth Opportunities
You may not have reached the peak of your career but you can easily hit the ceiling in one company. This means that you have achieved everything you could possibly achieve there. The only thing left for you is to keep going at the same momentum, which leads to stagnation and frustrations in the long run. If this is the case, then you need to look for new challenges and since you have hit the ceiling in your current job, then you need to jump ship.
A job is like the growth of a baby. You have milestones that you will keep reaching with each new challenge, promotion, or growth opportunity but eventually, you hit a plateau and reach stagnation. In such a case, the best thing to do is to see what other opportunities lie out there, as stagnation may negatively affect your career.
2. You No Longer Share the Company’s Dream
A new job is exciting. It gives you a chance to start all over again and be part of something great. You get on board a new dream and vision and you are all excited about your contribution to this dream. However, it may get to a point where the dream no longer excites you or the dream changes and the new dream just does not sit well with you.
The downside is that this will eventually show up in your delivery and your job will start feeling like a chore. This has the effect of making you dislike your job, which can be detrimental to your career. When the company’s dream is no longer what you believe in, it is in your best interest to find another home whose dream excites you.
3. You are Constantly Stressed and Tired
Getting stressed once in a while is not unusual and so is getting tired. However, if your job is giving you sleepless nights all the time, you find yourself getting easily irritable, or you are just no longer full of life, then this could be an indication that you are stressed and burnt out.
Your body gives you signals when something is not right and burnout is one sign that that job is just not doing you justice. Notably, stress and fatigue can have a detrimental impact on your general health and you should not put your health on the line because of your job. If your body is giving you signals to change jobs, then it is about time you made the shift.
4. You No Longer Feel Valued
You spend a significant part of your day at work with your colleagues. It is, therefore, important to have a chance to air your opinions and have your ideas acknowledged. However, if you feel like your ideas and opinions are not valued or you have no space to share your ideas and opinions, it means that your value to the team and the organization are not recognized. Every relationship ought to be a 2-way street and this includes the relationship you have with those you work with.
A situation where your ideas are not appreciated can also be an indication that the relationship between you and your team is not as collaborative as it ought to be. If this is the case and you feel frustrated for not being valued for the value you offer, then it is about time you launched your job search and go to where you are wanted and not tolerated.
5. Your Working Environment is Toxic
This is one of the clearest signs out there that it is time to call it quits. A toxic working environment is just not good for your health, peace of mind, or career. If the organizational culture does not support a healthy working environment and there is no sign of change in the near future, then you have no business dedicating a good part of your life to such an environment.
6. You are No Longer Learning
One way of growing in your career is to constantly learn. With changes happening in the workplace driven by technology and changes in the business environment, it is important that you keep learning, stay relevant and improve your productivity.
If you have reached a point where there is nothing new you are learning, then perhaps it is time to go elsewhere, where you can gain new skills. This will not only help you to stay relevant in the market, but it will also help you avoid getting bored.
Gone are the days when people used to stay in one job all their working lives. Changing jobs is no longer frowned upon. Nowadays, it’s not unusual to see people changing jobs after 1 year.
If you’re feeling stuck and are itching for some change, then it is time to get a BrighterMonday account or update your existing profile and start your journey of taking your career to the next level. When it’s time, it’s time.
