10 Warning Signs It’s Time To Find a New Job

How can you tell that it’s time to start looking for a new job? It might be time to find a new job even if you like where you work.

It’s great to like your job, but don’t let that stop you from making an intelligent career choice.

The most successful professionals are proactive. They see the writing on the wall and take action before it’s too late. They know when it’s time to leave for greener pastures.

Is it time for you to leave your job?

Sign #1: No upward mobility

Promotions and raises advance our careers faster than remaining loyal to a single employer. No room for advancement is a clear sign that it is time to update your resume and start applying for new jobs.

Don’t leave career advancement to chance.

During my career in information technology, I switched jobs every three to four years to ensure I kept boosting my experience and salary over the years.

Sign #2: You don’t get along with your coworkers

Spending 8 to 10 hours a day working with people we don’t get along with is no way to go through a career. Arguments can quickly turn a workplace toxic. Backstabbing or sabotage can as well. And it hurts your chances of success.

If you don’t work well with your coworkers, finding another employer will probably help you advance in your career.

Sign #3: You are getting bored

Jobs that bore you will never be satisfying. And at the end of the day, most of us need to feel like we accomplished something meaningful. Or something that we can be proud of.

If your job bores you, talk to your boss first. There might be something they can do to improve your work responsibilities. If not, it’s time to start looking for other jobs.

Sign #4: Your job is too easy

Easy jobs might seem attractive at first, but they also kill career advancement. Easy jobs don’t challenge us. They don’t help us learn. However, those challenges help us gain the skills and experience needed to take the next step. Easy jobs are especially damaging if you are early in your career. The best time to acquire new skills is when you’re young.

Check Out: 30 Places to Learn New Job Skills for FREE!

Sign #5: You keep getting passed over for promotions

If you are not getting the promotions you think you deserve, there’s a problem. Maybe your boss doesn’t know that you want the promotion. Or, perhaps you are inadvertently doing something at work that is hurting your chances of getting promoted.

The first step is to find out the problem by having an open conversation with your manager. If that doesn’t work, bailing to another employer is probably the right move.

Sign #6: The company was just acquired

Businesses buy other businesses all the time. Sadly, this often spurs changes that aren’t good – at least for the employees. Things change. I worked for a 50-person company about ten years ago. After a substantial 200,000-person enterprise bought the company, I quit less than two months later. Things changed, and not for the better.

More managers. Less work freedom. More oversight. Less on-the-job autonomy. They even reduced our company-provided snack budget in the office break room. Get your resume updated if your company was acquired (even if your boss says “nothing will change”).

Free Resource: Free Resume Templates

Sign #7: Your salary is below market value

Do a little research to determine how closely your salary matches the market value for your role. Glassdoor has a “Know Your Worth” tool that can help. If you are paid below what you think you’re worth, talk to your manager about a raise.

If that doesn’t work, be proactive and start looking for other jobs. Taking a new job is often the perfect time to negotiate a much higher salary.

Sign #8: Your employer has shoddy business practices

If your employer’s business practices do not match your ethics, that’s a clear sign to move on. If your employer is doing anything illegal, it’s only a matter of time before they get caught. Indeed, you don’t want to get caught up in that.

Sign #9: You only do busywork

If your manager only gives you busy work, that’s a sign they don’t value your contributions to the company. In that case, it’s probably time to look elsewhere for work. Just as with being bored or unchallenged, busy work ruins careers because that type of work does not help us stockpile career-advancing skills.

Sign #10: You feel stuck in a routine

Doing the same thing every day can wear on us. While routines can be nice (our brains like routine), they can also sap a lot of the creative juices from us.

For instance, did you know that working at different coffee shops can boost productivity? “The combination of noise, casual crowds and visual variety can give us just the right amount of distraction to help us be our sharpest and most creative,” wrote BBC. New routines are the spice of life.

In conclusion, be proactive in your career. Liking your job may not be a good reason to stay, especially if advancing your career is a priority. If you notice any of these ten signs at work, it might be time to look for a new job.