How Do You Know if You Need a New Job?
Hi friend,
Can you believe it’s March? Time has a funny way of going fast, and slow. When you first start a new job, there is so much to learn, but before you know it, you’ve been there one year, two years, three years— and at some point you start to feel anxious that you need to be doing something to progress your career. Do you need a new job? Do you need to “put in the time” and pay your dues? Should you just be grateful to be employed? A good number of my coaching clients come to me because they feel behind in their career and want help deciding what to do next.
Are you on the right path for your career goal?
It’s okay if you don’t have a career goal. Most people don’t, which fuels the anxiety that they are not making career progress (you can’t progress towards something if you don't know what it is). If you don’t have one, stop right here and head over to my blog on setting your career goals! But, if you have a career goal, ask yourself if your current job will help you reach it. If not, you need a new job.
Are you gaining new skills and experiences regularly at work?
New skills and new experiences make you a more competitive candidate when you job search. The more skills you have, the more options you have. In a professional environment, once a quarter (every three months) is a good cadence for taking on a new project, developing a new skill or taking an existing skill to the next level, or accomplishing something significant. If your current job does not provide any of those opportunities (be sure to explicitly ask your manager for them) and you have to do all of your learning and professional development outside of work, you need a new job.
Are you happy in your current job?
How do you feel on Sundays when you think about going back to work the next day? Panic attacks, bouts of crying, and general existential dread are not signs that you need yoga and a book about creating your own happiness. They are signs that your job is not good for you. They are signs of mental and emotional pain. You do not need to get over it or learn to live with it, you need a new job.
People get hung up on time. They ask me: “What if I’ve been in my job for too long?” or “Don’t I have to stay in my job for at least two years?” Time is a very poor proxy for other things in our careers, which is why years of experience almost never belongs in a good job description. If you are on the right path for your career goal, learning new things, and happy, stay put! Otherwise, you need a new job. The timeline for finding a new job depends on many factors in your life, but you can start taking steps now, so you’ll be ready for your search when it’s time.
Happy Tuesday,
Karissa
