4 Signs You're Too Smart For Your Job
Jul 30, 2014, 23:36 IST
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It might not seem like a bad thing - maybe the work's easy, or you don't have to overexert yourself - but being overqualified can leave you frustrated and angry after time, especially if your manager never utilizes your skill set or gives you challenging projects.
"We can delude ourselves that it's all the same to us whether we compile the latest version of the boss's favorite make-work project or dig into the coolest assignment we've ever had," writes Liz Ryan, CEO and founder of Human Workplace, in a recent LinkedIn Post. "Of course, it isn't the same at all."
If you identify with one of these signs that you've outgrown your position, it might be time to move on to something more challenging:
You're bored.
Nonstop boredom is the biggest indicator that you're too smart for your job, according to Ryan. If you're constantly underwhelmed by the projects you're working on, it will make it difficult to concentrate and cause you to lose focus. "If boredom overwhelms you such that you need sugar and caffeine to stay awake, you're in the wrong spot," Ryan explains.You don't share your ideas.
Your job should provide an ideal opportunity to brainstorm and shape ideas. Therefore, it's a red flag if your good ideas go nowhere. "It should be easy to share ideas at work, and for the best ones to find an audience and to be implemented," Ryan says. If it doesn't feel worth it to speak up, or your ideas fall on deaf ears, it might be time to look for a position where your brainpower is put to better use.Your coworkers are stuck in place.
If your coworkers can't keep up when you explain a complex idea, or are opposed to reworking the way things have "always been done," it might be a sign that they're not intellectually challenging you. Even if they're friendly and hard-working, it won't better you to stay in a position that doesn't push you. "You don't improve your game by playing with people a level (or two or three) below your league," Ryan says.Your boss doesn't have a vision.
"You can't grow your flame working for someone who has no idea what a vision is or where to get one," Ryan says. Your boss should be someone you can learn from and bounce ideas off of. If they don't have a plan for how to grow the department, or even further their own career, it's a sign there's not much they can offer you. Click here to read the full LinkedIn post.Want your business advice featured in Instant MBA? Submit your tips to tipoftheday@businessinsider.com. Be sure to include your name, your job title, and a photo of yourself in your email.
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