Knowing when to move on from a job

Ever had a ‘feeling’ you should probably move on from your job but been too worried to do anything about it? This kind of job stress can be detrimental to your mental health, as well as your job outlook and performance. Of course, we don’t all have the luxury of leaving our job when things get too tough. So, knowing when it’s time to start broadening your horizon and looking for other options is important.

Knowing when to move on from a job is one thing, but having steps in place to support you through that transition is a WHOLE other ball game. Let’s think of it like a spring clean, where things that no longer serve you or bring you joy are shown the door. So let’s jump in…

1. Your health and wellbeing is taking a backseat

This is the first sign that your job is no longer serving you.

ALL jobs come with some kind of stress, so don’t get hung up on wanting to find something with zero stress. It’s all about how you handle it. But if you’ve tried everything and you wake up every day with a feeling of dread in the pit of your stomach… it’s probably a sign.

If you know me, you know I continually go on and on about taking care of your wellbeing. Self-care is more important than career success. After some practice, soul searching, and commitment (and a coaching session with us won’t hurt!), some of us are able to neatly pair these two ideas together; protecting our health whilst enjoying positive steps forward towards our long-term goals.

But for most of us, and for much of our working lives, we slave away and stop caring about our health and wellbeing. We don’t like our jobs. We don’t know where we are going.

STOP

IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY!

It’s 2020 – caring about yourself enough to know when it’s time to move on is a wildly respected feat. We all know it’s not easy but we all know that it’s often necessary.

You. Come. First. Period. And the next point proves this further…

2. You are not finding any joy or fulfilment in your daily work anymore

Sometimes, we start out loving our job but soon find after a few years that it’s just not what we wanted it to be. Maybe we aren’t growing as quickly as we wanted to. Or maybe the projects we’re working on just aren’t making the impact we want.

It’s hard to recognise when something isn’t joyful or fulfilling when we don’t have clear goals and desires.

If you’re starting to wonder whether it’s time to consider other career options, take this is my most important piece of advice…

You must get clear on where you want to go.

Why? Because if you don’t, you risk ending up in another job where the same monotony and dullness overpowers your sense of satisfaction.

Getting clarity can be difficult, but it starts with figuring out what you want and outlining some actionable steps. We can help with this.

3. You feel as though you are not being valued for what you are contributing

This one comes back to knowing your worth (read last week’s blog here).

That’s critical.

Because if you don’t know, understand, and appreciate your worth, then how can you expect your employer to see it?

We all have worth, and all of us is unique. If you are giving your all at work and are getting nothing in return (no respect, no thanks, no opportunity) then you are not being valued for who you are.

Figuring out why this may be is very complex, and 9.5 times out of 10 it comes down to the other person. Remember, you cannot control the reaction of others. And if you know in your heart that you are…

• Working to the best of your ability
• Going above and beyond your job description
• Making positive steps forward for the company

And you are not shown any thanks or gratitude for that… this can become VERY defeating.

And another sign you need to leave.

4. You’ve developed some self-confidence and know your true worth is not appreciated

If you’re a regular around these parts, I’m hoping that some of my tips are starting to sink and your self-confidence is creeping back (even if slowly!). If not, you know who to call.

You’ll know it’s there when you start thinking, “hang on, this isn’t right… I deserve better!”

Without that confidence, many of us will just keep on keeping on… saying nothing and getting more and more down in the dumps.

It takes confidence to see things for what they are because it means you need to identify when something is going against your values. Or when someone is not treating you with the respect you deserve. Or when you are not valued for your true worth.

Again, I know we don’t all have the means to just quit when we’ve acknowledged these feelings. So the most important thing is that once these feelings arise, you begin to put your energy and your money into things that are actually going to help you move forward into a role you deserve.

5. The culture has turned toxic or just doesn’t fit anymore

Toxic workplace culture is enough to turn off even the most career-focused individuals.

Why? Because working in a negative environment is uninspiring, unmotivating, and downright depressing. Nobody wants this. Nobody seeks this out. Yet SO many of us unknowingly end up in these situations and often feel like it’s too hard to get out.

It’s not.

It’s not too hard because NOTHING is more important than you.

NOTHING is more important than you.

Once you understand that, making decisions around your career will become much easier. It just takes confidence, and often time and effort, to get to that point.

And we’re here to help with that too…

Using KLCC to help you move on

We’ve actually lost count of the number of clients who come to us with these problems. They don’t know where it went wrong, or how to get out, but all they know is enough is enough.

It’s unfortunate that it’s often left until this point. But we get it. And many of us here at KLCC have even been through this ourselves.

We understand the freedom and sense of accomplishment that comes with removing yourself from a negative situation and putting steps in place to get you into a much more positive environment.

We have the tools and the know-how… all you need to do is book! It’s free to chat about your options, and you can make a time here.

Key takeaway: You are worth more than staying in an unhappy, toxic job which does not bring you joy and fulfilment. Know that the only thing you can control is YOU, and that YOU are more important than anything else.

You’ve got this ????

Kate