When Do You Know it is Time to Go?

by Ruaidhri Horan, Marketing Manager, Abrivia Recruitment

How do you know when it is time to leave your current job?
Below are the top 10 tell-tales signs that it may be time to move on from your current employer.

You hate your job
Obviously, if you get little or no enjoyment out of your current role, for the sake of your mental health, it may be time to look for a new role.

You detest your work culture
If you work in a toxic work environment where backstabbing is a daily occurrence, then I suggest that this is an opportune time to plan your next move.

You don’t get on well with your co-workers
This may be due to a personality clash or through no fault of your own, a well-established clique may exist in your workforce and despite many efforts you find this clique quite impenetrable. You feel isolated and marginalised. You have given it your best shot, but it may be time to move on.

No work-life balance
You get up at 6am and don’t get home until 8pm in the evening. As a result, you regularly miss milestone family events and occasions. Consequently, your childcare costs have rocketed, and you get to spend little or no time with your family. You feel exhausted and think you are well on the road to burn-out. This is the time to consider your next move.

You are underpaid and undervalued
You know that your salary is well below the market rate and you rarely receive a pay increase. Even when you hit your targets, you receive little or no recognition. Does this situation sound familiar?

You lack job security
You may be moving from one short term contact to another with significant gaps in between and there is little hope on the horizon of a constant flow of work. A full-time opportunity which closely matches your skills and experience comes to your attention. Now is not the time for procrastination, now is the time to act swiftly.

Your passion is not for your current industry
If you have a passion for another industry which offers similar or better pay, conditions, work-life balance, job security (etc), why not follow your passion?

You no longer feel challenged
You have been sleepwalking through the day for a number for years now as you are so familiar with your daily work routine as you have been doing you current job for so long. If you are someone who excels when faced with a challenge, this current situation is not sustainable in the long term. It is definitely time to seek an internal promotion or to move on from your current employer.

You have absolutely no support
Regardless of your great well thought out plans for your department, you receive no support from either people who directly report into you or from your superiors. You are effectively operating as an island and fell deeply demoralised. Time to move on!

There are no career progression prospects
You have been working in your current role and unless you are top of the management pyramid or absolutely love your job, you will not be happy with the lack of career progression opportunities. Hence it may be an opportune time to take stock of your career and consider new opportunities.

The above list is by no means exhaustive and the weight of each of the above factors will vary from person to person. Some people can live with the lack of career advancement opportunities but cannot abide the thought of spending another day in a toxic work environment. Whatever your reasons, when your gut instinct tells you it is time to move on, it is more than likely pointing you in the right direction!