The more demanding your job is the lesser control you have over what you do.
If you spend most of your valuable waking hours then it is critical that you spend those ‘hours’ pursuing the right opportunity. It’s easy to get stuck in a job and, if you love what you’re doing, getting stuck can be comfortable. However, it’s important to remember that every job should enhance your skills, and add to your value as an employee. If you’re not learning anything new, and are just puttering around doing the same old thing while people around you get promotions, it’s time to look elsewhere.
A study by the American Psychological Association found that people whose work meets both these criteria are likely to experience exhaustion, poor sleep, anxiety, and depression.
Choosing to leave a job can be a gut-wrenching decision. You need to know that you’re making the right choice. There are some clear signs that if you experience enough of them—suggest it’s time to move on.
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You’re out of the loop: If it seem like you’re always the last one to hear about what’s going on at work, left out of meetings, rarely get face time with upper management, and have never even heard of the big project then it could mean that your boss just see you as a body filling a desk, rather than a valuable contributor.
You know more than your boss: It’s frustrating to work for someone you believe to be less skilled or knowledgeable than you are. If you can’t trust your company’s leadership to make good decisions then you’ll be living in a constant state of anxiety.
You have a bad boss who isn’t going anywhere: If you have a bad boss who is well-liked by the upper management, it may be time to leave. In addition to making you miserable every day, a two-faced manager who is loved by the higher ups can wreak havoc on your career by taking credit for your work, bad-mouthing you to others, and blaming you for things that go wrong.
You dread going to work: We all get a case of the Mondays from time to time, but if even thinking about your job fills you with dread; it’s probably time to leave. Don’t keep telling yourself you’re having a bad week if what you really have is a job that is a bad fit.
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You’ve lost your passion: Passion is a necessary ingredient for success. If you’re unenthusiastic or even indifferent about the work you do, it’s time to reassess your career.
Your health is suffering: No paycheck is worth sacrificing your health. Job stress can lead to depression, insomnia, headaches, frequent illness, and worse. Don’t let this happen to you.
Your personal life is suffering: Whether you work too many hours or you’re stressed and miserable when you come home, it’s time to leave when your job starts affecting your personal life.
If you do decide to leave, be smart about it. Don’t burn bridges by venting about all of the reasons you’re leaving. That accomplishes nothing, and could even haunt you later. Instead, simply explain that you’re leaving to pursue another opportunity, and then do so graciously.