Quitting a job is no fun. And it certainly isn't easy.
But if you dread going in and you're constantly bored, it may be time to start looking for a position elsewhere.
In a recent LinkedIn post, Robert O'keane, an international search consultant for Charles Francis Cooper, writes that if we ignore the signs that we've outgrown our jobs, "we run the risk of living our life in a stale career or being forced to move on."
Here are four warning signs that it's time to get out:
1. You feel like you can't win.
If you find your role has become confusing, or that people in senior management situations give conflicting feedback, you may want to start thinking about your next move. "No one wants to be stuck in a situation where they can't win and if a job makes you feel like this why not look at moving on?" O'keane asks. Your job should make you feel exhilarated and challenged, he says. "Like you are succeeding in something rather than like you are fighting a losing battle and not achieving anything."
2. You've lost interest.
O'keane says your job should keep you challenged and engaged, but if you're mentally checked out when you should be working, it's probably not a good fit anymore. "It's important that your job pushes you and keeps you interested," he says. If your current position doesn't motivate you, it might be time to look for one that does.
It should also be fun, he says. "You should laugh at work and enjoy your time there. If you find that [it has become] less and less enjoyable, then maybe a change of scenery is what you need."
3. You question every move.
Everyone makes mistakes from time to time, but if you second guess every decision you make at work, your job is likely creating more anxiety than it's worth, O'keane says. "When you get to the stage where you are doubting what you're saying and you're wondering whether people around the table will agree with you, move on," he says. You should be confident at work; not perpetually nervous.
4. You dread going to work.
If you never enjoy yourself at the office or dread returning to work after the weekend, something's missing from your career. Work doesn't have to be the most exciting component of your life, but if there's absolutely nothing you look forward to, consider looking elsewhere. "If you find that your time at work is becoming less and less enjoyable, then maybe a change of scenery is what you need," O'keane says.
Click here to read the full LinkedIn post.
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