It’s pretty incredible to think that many of us will have the same career for many years, while others will spend a lifetime trying to figure out exactly what works and what is most fulfilling. Whether your fit into one category or the other, there’s no doubt you’ve thought about what it would be like to shift careers or find the one that makes you feel completely content. When you think about it, careers are often the center point of life. Your day-to-day sets the tone for everything else. Often times, the flow of your family life rests on the work schedule you maintain, and sometimes finding something less demanding might work best for your family. Whatever your reasoning, if you’ve been thinking it might be time to explore other options, let’s take a look at the signs. Keep reading for a roundup that might help determine if you’re ready to try a new career venture or if the best path is to sit tight.
Signs You’re Ready for a Career Change
You don’t look forward to Monday. Everyone wants the weekend to last a bit longer, but if you dread the start of the workweek, it might be time to think about making a change. No one says you have to love every minute of every day, but you should look forward to at least (some) parts of your job. When what used to be enthusiasm has shifted to dread, it’s time to explore alternatives.
If even the biggest, most exciting new project seems uninspiring and routine to you, it’s time to assess your role and your goals. Perhaps you take a new path within your current field or maybe you get way outside of the box and go after something completely new and different. If you are no longer inspired, that bummer energy will trickle down throughout the team – and, that can be contagious.
When you feel like you’ve given everything you have to one career path or company and now you’re totally burnt out. Being at the end of your creative drive doesn’t feel very good – at times it can make you feel as though you’re treading water, unsure of what to do next or how to reignite those creative juices that used to make you the fiery spirit you know you are. When all of that is lost and you simply feel bored, it’s time to move on.
When you’re at the end of the learning line. Sometimes careers remain challenging for many years because they consistently evolve and there’s always something new to learn. But, in some cases, you really can master a skill and your day-to-day can easily become a bit mundane. When you no longer feel challenged and you’re brain isn’t working to understand new and evolving ideas or technology, it might be time to explore another path.
You just want out. If nothing sounds better than ending your relationship with your career and starting afresh, it’s probably time to run….not walk….to your next big thing. If you’ve thought about opportunities that might be of interest to you and you know broadly what you’d like to do next – start exploring and researching ASAP.
What’s going on with your career? Are you ready to try something completely new or are you just settling in for a long run in your current role?
