When you first start a new job, everything seems sweet. It’s exciting, and you are ecstatic at the fact that your long search for new employment is finally over. No more resume updates and amendments; no more thankless trips to interviews. You’ve made it – and now it’s time to get down to business.
But what happens after half a year or twelve months? How do you feel now? You know the role, and you know the people you work with – and work for. Is everything sitting comfortably with you, or do you have a nagging suspicion that something is wrong?
If so, read on. We’ve put together a list of some of the most common warning signs that you might be in the wrong job. Let’s take a closer look at what you need to watch out for – and how to deal with the whole issue.
You are underemployed
Do you feel like your talents are going to waste? If every day is feeling too easy and you face no challenges, it might be a sign that things need to change. It’s worth checking out how the land lies with your management team. Maybe they just think you are happy with your lot. And, unless you raise it with them, they just don’t know about your ambitions. If you talk to them, and they don’t care, or make you a stream of false promises, it might be time to walk.
Your industry is in trouble
Perhaps you are perfectly happy in your job, but outside forces are coming into play. Industries change all the time, and can fall into trouble surprisingly fast. Take the record store industry as a prime example. One year, the big chains were opening stores all over the country. The next? Music downloads became a big thing, and most of them shut up shop. Industry failure will affect you in a couple of ways. First of all, you might end up with redundancy, and no job at all. But even if you keep it, you’ll find that your chances of progression are now a lot slimmer than they were when business is booming. If you suspect your industry or employer is in trouble, always start looking elsewhere.
You spend a long time looking wistfully at job sites
Feel like you can’t get through the hour without checking Indeed or Monster? If you spend all your time looking at jobs sites, it’s a sure sign you are unhappy in your current role. Instead of just looking, start doing. The people posting those job opportunities aren’t going to call you – neither will you bump into them at your local coffee shop. Start calling people and applying for new roles a soon as possible.
You are taking a lot of sick days
If you are happy at work, you will try and get to your desk no matter how you feel. It’s a simple case of ‘wanting to be there.’ However, if you’re taking sick days because you stubbed your toe or have broken a nail, it’s time to get serious. It’s clear you are unhappy. So get up and use those sick days more productively by finding an alternative way of making a living.
