When Is the Right Time to Leave Your Job?

Everyone can have good and bad days, even at the perfect job. However, if you find your work is stressful or isn’t letting you live the life you want, you may want to look for something else.

Read on to learn more about the signs you should look for a new job.

There’s No Room for Growth

One of the best signs for when to look for a new job is when you don’t have any opportunity for growth at your current job. If you’ve reached the highest level, you may have more opportunities with a new company.

Look at future goals for your career and see if they involve more growth. Then, you can determine if you’ll be able to reach those goals in your current role.

Now, before you leave, you can talk with your employer about the situation. They may help you find work that challenges you, or they may tell you about a potential promotion that may come available soon.

You Don’t Enjoy the Work

Another option for how to know when to leave your job is if you don’t enjoy the work. Many people will have work tasks that they don’t like doing, and that’s normal.

However, you may find yourself getting bored with all your tasks. Or maybe you work in an industry that doesn’t interest you, so the work is much harder to do.

If possible, you should have some sort of passion either for your specific role or the industry of the company. That way, going to work can be more exciting, even on the more stressful days.

Work-Life Balance Is Almost Impossible

Many Australians struggle with work-life balance, but you shouldn’t have to overwork yourself. If you want more time off to spend with your loved ones, you may need to find a new job.

Consider how much you tend to work each week and if that meets your needs. You may be able to convince your employer to let you work less, but they may not allow that.

If that happens, you’ll have to decide if it’s more important to keep your job or have enough downtime. Then, you can determine if it’s time to explore your options.

You Have Different Values

Another major sign it may be time to leave your job is if you find you have different values than your company. Your values may differ on the number of hours you work, or it could differ on something unrelated to your schedule.

Maybe you follow a plant-based diet, but your employer works with meat companies. If you aren’t comfortable working on those clients’ accounts, you may decide you need to leave that job.

Now, you may not always agree with your employer, and you don’t have to agree. So, think about it thoroughly to decide if an issue is important enough for you to find another employer.

You’ve Had to Compromise on Your Ethics

Different opinions are one thing, but it’s another thing to have to compromise on your ethics. Maybe your employer is making you do something that makes you uncomfortable, such as selling to vulnerable populations.

Or maybe your company wants you to create marketing campaigns that aren’t totally accurate. No matter what the reason, you should think about if you’re willing to compromise on your values and ethics.

If not, it’s a good time to talk with your employer to see if you have other tasks you can do. And if your employer still wants you to do the initial tasks, you may decide to look for a job elsewhere.

Going to Work Stresses You Out

Going to work may stress everyone out at some point, so this isn’t a problem if it occurs once or twice. However, if you find yourself dreading work every day, that’s a good sign for when to look for a new job.

Maybe you aren’t using your skills, or your job may require more of your time than it used to. For whatever reason, going to work can be stressful, so think about how stressful it is.

If the stress is minor, you may be able to talk with your employer about lowering your stress. On the other hand, you may decide you need a new job that makes better use of your skills and experience, such as interpersonal skills.

Working There Long-Term Doesn’t Appeal to You

Even if the work isn’t stressful now, you should consider how that may change over the years. Consider if you’ll want to have kids in the future or if you may have other obligations outside of work.

Try to picture yourself working for the same company in 10 or 20 years. If you can’t picture it or if doing so is unappealing, you may want to start looking for a new job now.

Then, you can compare companies and find one that you can see yourself at for many years. While it’s normal to change jobs, it doesn’t hurt to work for a company that you may want to work for throughout much of your career.

Your Pay Is Too Low

You may also want to compare your current pay to the average pay for Australians. If you make significantly less than the average, you can ask your employer for a raise.

However, maybe you’ve reached the top of the pay schedule for your position. In that case, you would need to find a new employer to start making more money.

There’s always the option to apply for a new role in the company with better pay. But if that isn’t something you want to do, looking at other jobs will be your best option.

Do You Know When to Look for a New Job?

Determining when to look for a new job is a big decision. You must consider the good and bad parts of your current job, and you need to think about your future goals.

Then, you will be able to determine if you can make your current job better. If not, you’ll know it’s time to start the job search process. Do you need to find a new job in Melbourne? Learn how we can help.

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