“I need a new job.”
These words are thought by millions of members of the workforce every single day. Maybe even every hour of every day!
Managing a career can feel like walking through an elaborate maze where you never end up where you want to go. You want to move forward, but find yourself stagnating in the same crummy job. Knowing the signs you are lost in your career can prevent you from slipping into neutral and jump start your career towards your ultimate professional destination.
Same Old Job
How long have you worked in your current position? Have you held the job for more than five years? The first sign that you are lost in your career is job status quo. You perform the same tasks and assume the same responsibilities that you did when you first took over the position. To free yourself from the same old job description, discuss your ideas with your manager on how to improve your job or move on by working for another company. This will keep you from saying “I need a new job”…at least temporarily.
Do You Jump out of Bed in the Morning…?
… or do you wish you could spend the entire day in bed. Apathy resonates as one of the signs you are lost in your career. You begrudgingly show up for work and put little or no effort into anything you do on the job. Your once optimistic outlook on your career has dissipated faster than a Lindsay Lohan court date. If you do not have professional pride or cannot see the payoff from all of your hard work, then you need put the words “I need a new job” into motion and start to search for other opportunities that extricate you from your career maze.
Promotions…What Promotions
While the same old job explains a position in which the job description never changes, lack of job promotions means your employer does not think enough of you to push your career forward. Lack of advancement opportunities indicates one of the telltale signs you are lost in your career. If many of your co-workers have received promotions that never come your way, the time has come to move on to bigger and better things.
How Does Your Employer Treat You?
At one point in your career, you were the chosen one to ascend the corporate ladder. Then, your employer began to treat you differently, from first ignoring you to openly criticizing your job performance. Criticism quickly morphed into fewer hours and really crappy job responsibilities. Poor employer treatment is one of the obvious signs you are lost in your career and you should be saying, “I need a new job.”
No Mentoring
Every successful professional, whether you work in an office or a hospital room, requires mentoring to achieve personal and professional growth. Once mentoring ceases, you can expect your career to go south. You no longer have an advocate for your career, nor do you have a resource to help you advance into other positions. Working without the help of a mentor is like walking through a foreign city without a street map.
Most professionals experience some stagnation at least once during their careers. The key to moving on and leaving the career maze is to understand the signs you are lost in your career and never utter the words “I need a new job” again!
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