People often seek a career coach because they want to change something about their career. Some are eager to find a new career path because they feel they chose poorly, believing that doing something different will bring career happiness.
Sometimes, it’s not the wrong career path causing unhappiness. It’s their current role hindering their career satisfaction.
Do you feel like you’ve had enough, that it’s time for a change?
Signs that it might be time to quit your job
If you identify with any of the following, it may be time to consider making some changes. If you:
- Hate your job
- Don’t get along with your boss or colleagues
- Are not using your knowledge, skills and strengths
- Can’t handle working long hours any longer
- Don’t feel like you can be your authentic self at work
- Feel like you’ve hit a glass ceiling and see no way through
- Don’t feel your values match those of your employer or co-workers
- Feel your commute to work has become so painful you can’t bear it
If any of these resonated with you, it might be time to quit your job. But not so fast. Acting impulsively is the last thing you should do. First, let’s be practical and make sure you have a well-thought-out action plan in place.
Identifying what's not working
It’s important to be clearly identify what is making you unhappy at work and to determine if you have control over any of these factors. If you hate your job, what is it about your job you hate?
Does your role not allow you to use your talents? Have you evolved and now need more of a challenge or career progression?
Perhaps you have realised that the job you are in simply doesn’t interest you and never has. Whatever is causing your dissatisfaction, identifying exactly what’s blocking your career happiness is essential for a successful change.
If it’s your boss or colleagues you can’t tolerate, what is it about them that annoys you? Is your boss an overbearing micro-manager who undermines everything you do? Do your colleagues treat you poorly or manipulate situations at work to make your job unpleasant? Or is it simply that you don’t get along with them and find it hard to be around them every day? Occupational psychologists who measure job satisfaction have found that employees who don’t feel they are fully utilising their talents score much lower in job satisfaction surveys than those who do. If you’re stuck in a job where you don’t feel you’re using your full range of skills and strengths, it’s time to take action.
Do you feel that your work persona is worlds away from the real you? Certainly, most of us need to present a slightly modified version of ourselves in the workplace. What I’m referring to is that fundamental inauthenticity that can occur when we have a job or work for an organisation that doesn’t align with our values.
If you feel you’ve hit a glass ceiling at work with nowhere to go in terms of growth and development, it can be difficult to stay motivated. Business management experts warn that a work environment devoid of opportunities for employee growth leads to disengaged staff who lack motivation.
Are long or irregular hours impacting your health and work-life balance? Unpaid overtime has sadly become standard in some workplaces, with managers expecting more from their staff. This can lead to bitterness, resentment, as well as exhaustion and fatigue. Has your commute to work become unbearable? Whether you drive or use public transport, do you find yourself stressed throughout the journey? Apart from the negative physical and psychological effects, research has found that an additional 20 minutes of commuting per day had the same negative effect on job satisfaction as receiving a 19% pay cut.
Once you understand what it is about your current situation that’s getting in the way of your career happiness you’ll be able to take the necessary action. There are many ways in which you can boost your career happiness from re-designing your current role through to finding a new role that meets your needs.
The most important thing is to recognise what needs to change and why, then create an action plan to take the steps to live your ideal life.
Lisa LaRue, MCareerDev, RCDP, MAC
Career & Executive Coach | Career Development Consultant | EMCC-Accredited Master Practitioner Coach (EIA) and Coach Supervisor (ESIA) and CDI-Registered Career Development Professional (RCDP) with over 20 years’ experience helping achieve successful and fulfilling careers. With a passion for human flourishing, Lisa is also a part-time doctoral researcher of flow, performance and wellbeing at work.
