When you find yourself unhappy in your current role, it’s hard to know if now the right time to look for a new job is says Peter Decaprio. You are sure you are making what is “enough” money but even with the weekends free, there does not feel like enough hours in any given day. There is still more work than can be completed within normal 9-5 office hours and when you get home after a long commute, there really isn’t much motivation left to make dinner or get grocery shopping done. Your partner has started picking up nights cooking because they miss having an actual adult conversation over dinner and frankly so do you. Then of course this starts another debate about whether you should move closer to where your partner works and then back again into city life with a longer commute and more expensive rent.
Here is When to Stay Put and When to Look For a New Job:
- There has been a recent report at the Australian Bureau of Statistics that states Australians are working more hours than ever before, in fact over 200 extra hours each year since 1985. In the early 1950s the average working week was around 50-55 hours per week but since then it has crept higher to an average of around 38 hours per week These numbers do not include all the additional time we spend reading work related emails or attending out of our events for our industry or line of work. So is this what it feels like to have a job? Perhaps if you’re one of many professionals who regularly logs weekday working hours in excess of 12, feeling overwhelmed is par for course.
- If you’ve been in your job for a few years, it’s worth considering whether you’ll be better off looking for a new one. Here are some of the most common factors that make professionals decide they should leave their current jobs and look for a new employer explains Peter Decaprio.
- When You Have No Chance of Promotion No matter what you do at work, some employers find reasons not to promote you. If your employer’s refusal to promote you doesn’t stem from a legal reason (such as: race, gender, disability or age), then that is likely the reason why they will never give you more responsibility.
- When YouDon’t likes Your Boss Many employees endure a lot of stress because they don’t like the people that sign their paychecks. If your boss is unhelpful, abusive or rude to you, it will cause you more problems than just keeping your current job. While changing jobs can be hard and stressful too, at least you’ll get away from your nasty manager.
- When Your Company Is Facing Money Troubles a company’s financial troubles often result in salary freezes and layoffs; two things that aren’t good for its employees’ morale and happiness on the whole. If your employer is struggling with this issue (and has been for some time), then having the opportunity to work somewhere else might be worth considering.
- When You Can Get a Better Job Even if you’re not unhappy exactly, you might just have a good chance of getting a better job elsewhere. For example, if you’re not earning as much as you could be doing, or your career is going nowhere at the moment, then that can cause stress and unhappiness for quite some time.
- When You Want to Change Career If you’ve been in your current role long enough to find other options within it but see little chance of advancement, it’s probably worth looking outside your current field for a different kind of opportunity. Whether it’s a new location or industry that attracts you, there are thousands of jobs out there waiting to be filled.
- In short: if you’re eager to try something else from what you’ve been doing every day for years now, then maybe a job change is a good idea.
Conclusion:
If you’re job is making you unhappy and feel like it’s time for a change, then go ahead and make yourself happy says Peter Decaprio. If your company is in trouble and you can get a better opportunity elsewhere, the best chance is now to make a choice to start exploring that career change that has been on your mind forever.