By Sunny Simon
Stopping at a light I took a moment to consider the bumper sticker on the car in front of me. It read: “On my way to work, please kill me.” Ouch! I suppose it was meant to be funny, but as a career coach I found it less than hilarious.
Of course there are days we all feel a bit of dread when the alarm beckons us to rise and shine. This reaction should be the exception, not the norm. If anxiety regarding the next day at work keeps you up a night, it’s time to rethink your position.
Long before you decide to submit your resignation letter, red flags will arise indicating the recommended action, either a change in career or employers.
So what are some of the signals showing it is time to move on? Boredom? Perhaps your current position offers no challenge. Maybe you no longer agree with the direction the company is taking, or could it be external salary surveys show you are under compensated for your expertise and skill level? (You may be able to obtain that type of information from www.glassdoor.com)
If you are beginning to live only for the weekends, wake up and trust that nagging gut feeling. Stop the complacency and admit it’s time to put together a new game plan. Just a caution here, before you bid your boss adieu and sail off into the sunset, do some soul searching to get clear on the exact issue.
Enjoying the work environment, but hating the work, signals job dissatisfaction. Register for classes to enhance your current skill level and talk to your manager about a more challenging assignment. On the flip side, if your promotion is long overdue, or company politics stand in the way, update your resume and launch your job search.
Perhaps you’re in the right job at the wrong company. Make a list of what you do not like about your employment situation. Analyze that brain dump. If the majority of the items reflect the way your contribution at work is perceived, you may be dealing with cultural issues. Reread your company’s mission statement. Is it what you believe in and signed up for? If not, draft a paragraph depicting the type of company values you are aligned with, then create a target list of employers meeting most of those requirements.
One way or the other, take action. And to the person who slapped that bumper sticker on the family car, trust me, it is time for a change.
Sunny Simon is the owner of Raise the Bar High Life and Career Coaching. More about Sunny at www.raisethebarhigh.com
