How to Decide if It's Time to Make a Career Change
Choosing to move on from your current role can be a daunting decision to make. Naturally, you may hesitate to leave for many different reasons both personal and professional.
I've put together 5 key questions to ask yourself when considering a career change. So grab a pen and your favorite notebook and answer honestly!
1: Have you been in a career plateau for 2+ years?
It’s important to be in an organization that prioritizes learning and growth. Equally as important is having a manager that prioritizes your own skill development. This means you are regularly given opportunities to learn, take on new responsibilities and challenge yourself.
2: Do you have zero clarity on how to be promoted?
Having a clear, agreed-upon career advancement path with your manager is a critical piece to longevity in an organization. If you're given vague and non-committal responses when you ask questions about promotion criteria, this can be a red flag. The organization may not have it well-defined which makes it challenging for you to achieve career advancement milestones.
3: Are you counting the hours to Fridays and feel the "Sunday Scaries" regularly?
If you're feeling disconnected from your work, feel a sense of apathy, and/or the organization's mission no longer interests you, it could be a sign to consider something new. A follow-up question to ask yourself is,” How much of my time am I doing work I enjoy?” If it's less than half the time, this is something to reflect on.
Question 4: Do you feel under valued for your work and contributions?
Typically, we view recognition in two forms: praise and monetary. Both happening regularly help us feel valued in our jobs. Your manager should be providing praise for good work. Being recognized beyond your immediate team helps you see your impact organization-wide. You must also be rewarded for good work in the form of incentives like cash bonuses and equity.
Question 5: Do you currently feel burnt out with no relief in sight?
If you are constantly working long hours to keep up with your workload, or you're in a work culture that expects you to work around the clock you may want to consider a change. Life is too short to be burnt out. You should be in an organization that is supportive of work/life balance and prioritizes the health & wellness of its employees.
Let’s Review Your Answers
These are just a few key questions to ask yourself when you're considering a career change. If you answered “YES” more than 3 times, it may be time to consider a change. Be honest with yourself about what is reality vs. fiction. In our minds, we can sometimes paint a brighter picture of what's happening because it seems too difficult to change jobs.
As a Millennial Career Change Coach, trust me when I say it's possible to make a change to a better, more fulfilling job even in today's job market. If you want to learn more about how I can help you with your career change, reach out!