Source: Pixabay user Unsplash.
Before joining the College Raptor team, I was taking a break from school and working for a local small business. I had worked there part-time for years. When I decided that I needed to take some time off of school, I started working there full time. Everything was wonderful for a while, and I learned an immense amount about the world of small business.
But, after a while, I started to think about my goals and everything that I wanted to accomplish in my life and how they fit with what I was currently doing. What I found was that I started to feel trapped and stuck.
And it wasn’t just me that noticed. My co-workers and boss started to notice that I wasn’t happy, too. There were definite reasons for job change.
So I’ve put together a short list of signs in hopes that they will help other people who are trying to decide if it’s the right time to make a change. Here are 6 reasons for job change.
1. Your Google search history is full of “what if” searches
These could range anywhere from “dream jobs and how to find them” to “should I go back to school?” to “salary of ____”. You may just be curious, but as any 21st-century person knows, the first stop when you’re trying to figure something out and get answers is a Google search.
2. Little things you’ve never noticed before are starting to get on your nerves
For me, it was the smell of my co-worker’s perfume (which I had previously complimented her on and used myself). It was also the way that my boss spoke–to me, to customers, to anyone.
In the past, these things had never bothered me. But, the second they did, it was all I could do to keep myself from screaming.
3. Getting out of bed on workdays are getting more and more difficult
“No one likes getting out of bed to go to work,” I used to say it all the time to my roommates. But the thing is, my friends who were still in school or had started the careers that they always wanted weren’t laying in bed every morning contemplating calling in sick. Sure, they had days where they didn’t pop out of bed like daisies, but they weren’t fighting it every single day.
4. You no longer take the time to look good every day.
Of course, you still look presentable and professional, but you aren’t putting as much thought into your outfits as you used to. For me, this meant that I wasn’t wearing makeup to work anymore or keeping my nails done–both were not just normal for me but also normal for the company (I worked in retail jewelry sales). When I changed jobs and went back to school, I started caring about the way I looked again.
5. You feel like the bare minimum is enough
Especially if you have always been someone to go above and beyond what is expected of you, this can be a big wake up call. Doing only the bare minimum is a pretty good indicator that it’s time to move on.
6. You’re reading this article
Chances are that you’ve found us via one of your “what if” Google searches. But, the fact that you’ve clicked on the link and made it through this piece is a pretty good affirmation of what you may have already been thinking.
But, how do you move on?
Even if all of the signs are there, it can be difficult to make the first step to change. We’ve written extensively about stories, strategies, and insights about going back to school and how to make a transition out of what you’re currently doing into something that will be better for you in the long.
Take a look at some of our other pieces on going back to school.
