Not every job is right fit. It’s easy to take a role that looks better on paper than in reality. Even when we try to power through, nothing seems to improve.
You shouldn’t have to struggle to get out of bed in the morning. You deserve to find fulfillment in your work. Admitting that you are not happy with your job is just the first step, and while that may be difficult to admit, it can also be a catalyst for career growth elsewhere.
Here are some warning signs that you have the wrong job:
1. Nothing but empty promises
You’re in a position that you don’t necessarily love, BUT your management has promised you a promotion… one year ago. You’re crossing your fingers that the company is going to grow and your role is going to evolve, but it’s taking forever. News flash: time isn’t stopping anytime soon. The average salary increase when changing jobs is 15%, while it’s only 6% for those who get a wage increase internally. You could potentially have your dream role right now. Don’t leave it up to someone else.
2. 90% of your conversations are complaining
You can’t always avoid office politics. We can all reap benefits from office chit-chat, but when the majority of the conversations are negative… well, that’s not really healthy for anyone. It only takes a handful of gossipers to kill morale and it only takes one bad boss to destroy a company. If you are in an environment that makes you grouchy, it’s time to go.
3. Your job promotes destructive habits
Are you skipping lunch? Are you having trouble falling asleep at night? Do you spend your mornings stressing about the upcoming day? Do you live at work? None of these habits are good for your physical and emotional wellbeing.
4. You’re not using your strengths
It sucks to be in a position where you feel incompetent. If you are watching your coworkers reach goals that you are unable to achieve (despite trying your best), you’re probably not utilizing your core strengths. It’s okay to not be good at everything, but you should be in a job that capitalizes on what you are good at. Take inventory of what energizes you.
5. You’re overwhelmed
Looking back on the past couple of years, a lot of people have realized that they’ve been living in survival mode. A good leader won’t let their employees operate in an overwhelmed state for a long time.
6. You’re not a part of any projects
Your company is rolling out some new initiatives and some exciting projects for the year. Only problem? You’re not a part of any of them. Not only are you not spearheading the strategy, but you’re left out of the conversation completely. Your coworkers are given opportunities, but for whatever reason, you’re not being included. This could mean that your job is lacking the authority you were expecting.
7. You can’t be yourself
When you’re in a toxic work environment, you find yourself walking on eggshells. Some jobs will try to force you into being someone you’re not. They may claim that they’re just trying to make you into a culture fit, but the best companies are diverse.
8. People don’t know what you do
You work at a company, but nobody is 100% sure what you do on a daily basis. It’s not a good sign if nobody knows your impact on the organization. You don’t need to provide your colleagues with an itinerary of your day-to-day tasks, but ignorance practically guarantees that you won’t be able to move up.
9. Your values don’t align
People often ignore the warning signs. The truth is, you probably knew from the beginning that the company wasn’t the right fit for you. It’s important to find a career path that has values that are closely aligned to your professional fulfillment. If the job hails working weekends and rolling in at 5 AM, while you want to prioritize a work-life balance— it’s not going to work out in the long haul.
10. You can’t be honest
You can’t speak up about workplace issues without worrying about the consequences. Even if you have an unpopular (obviously work-relevant) opinion, you should be able to voice it.
11. You don’t feel valued
Probably the most telltale sign of them all. Do you feel welcomed at work? Do you feel appreciated? Based on your interactions with your boss and your colleagues, what percentage of your interactions are critiques vs. compliments? Sure, if you’re lazy, you shouldn’t expect to be praised for your lack of effort. If you’re putting in a lot of work and you feel like it frequently goes unnoticed, it can be frustrating to put in any effort at all. This is a glaring sign: this job is not the right fit!