There’s nothing worse than going into work and feeling like every minute that you spend there is a waste of your time. Maybe you’re stuck in a dead-end job with no career progression or you’ve stopped enjoying your work. When this happens and you’re left wondering if it’s time to move on, here are 12 sure signs that you should quit your job.
You No Longer Enjoy Going Into Work
Your alarm goes off. It’s time to get up and you can’t imagine anything worse than going into work today. Remember when you used to actually get excited about going into work? Those were the days. They don’t last forever, of course. Every job inevitably has its good days and its bad days, but if your morning routine now involves putting your alarm on snooze for as long as possible and thinking about all of the things that you’d rather do instead of going into work, it could be time to quit your job.
You’re Constantly Looking at Other Jobs
If you find yourself looking at job advertisements in your spare time or googling what it’s like to work at other companies, you want to work somewhere else. Not that there’s anything wrong with looking at other job opportunities, of course. It can be a great way of keeping check on the amount of money you’re being paid at your current job. But if you’re daydreaming about what other opportunities might be out there, or if you’re constantly asking friends and strangers what it’s like at their work, it might be time to hand in your notice and quit your job for good.
Time Moves Slower When You’re At Work
Time flies when you’re having fun. When you’re engaged in deep, meaningful work, it can be easy to lose track of time. If you don’t find yourself engaged in work that matters and instead you’re staring at the clock every five minutes, it’s a sign that you’re not mentally stimulated. Being bored at work sucks. If you’re spending your time at a job that you don’t enjoy in the first place, the fact that time seems like it’s moving slower can make that job even worse. Get out while you can.
You’re Always Procrastinating
We all procrastinate. It’s only natural that after spending hours staring at a screen or doing the same repetitive tasks, we’d want to shift our attention onto something else. However, procrastination becomes a problem if you’re doing it so regularly that it’s now become embedded in your daily routine. If you find yourself looking at cat videos or constantly refreshing the homepages of irrelevant websites to distract yourself from your daily duties, it could be a sign that you’re no longer enjoying or feeling fulfilled by the work that you’re doing.
You Hate Your Boss
It isn’t the end of the world if you don’t get on with your boss. Nobody is saying you need to be friends with your boss but it certainly helps. Depending on where you’re working, whether it’s a small independent business or a large corporation, your relationship with your boss might not even matter. However, if your line manager or boss is sapping the enjoyment out of your job or if you feel like they’re treating you unfairly in comparison to other employees, it’s time to do something about it. You could report the matter formally, or, if you simply don’t think your job is worth the effort, it’s time to quit.
You’re No Longer Motivated
Motivation helps keep us focused on completing work and ultimately taking satisfaction in the work that we do. It drives us forward and leads to career progression, so how can you tell when you’re no longer motivated at work? Thankfully, you don’t have to be a career psychic to realize when your job is no longer motivating you. If completing the simplest of tasks at work seems like an almighty chore, or if you’re constantly tired and can’t wait until the end of the day, your motivation at work has gone. Once that’s happened, it can be difficult to carry on with your job in the same way.
Forced Relocation
The best job in the world shouldn’t drag you away from the things that you love, whether that’s your friends and family or your favorite hobbies. If you work for a business that’s forcing you to relocate and that move will have a significant impact on your life, it’s time to weigh up the pros and cons of staying in that job. If you love your job and feel like the change is worth it, then by all means proceed. But if your job is making you unhappy and on top of that you’re asked to move somewhere new, look for work somewhere else before committing to a major lifestyle change.
You Don’t Share the Company’s Values
Most companies have a set of values that they want their employees to live by. These are often known as core values and shared as a company’s core mission. Companies are often built on the strength of their core values as they help structure the behaviors of both their employees and the business itself. When you’re being disciplined for not adhering to these rules and values, or you simply feel like a company’s values are just a masquerade hiding a terrible working environment, don’t beat around the bush. You’re not happy and it’s time to quit.
You Hate Your Teammates
Sometimes you can hate your job so much that it reaches a point where you start to hate everyone there too. If you can no longer bear the frustration of bumping into Jane in the kitchen or if you find yourself purposely avoiding interactions with your team because you can’t stand the sight of them anymore, that’s not a good sign. Enjoying working with your team will ultimately make you enjoy your job more. If you can’t stand your teammates, it’s time to quit your job.
There’s No Flexibility
Every job should be flexible enough to allow you to do the things that are needed outside of work. If you need to book a doctor’s appointment but your boss won’t allow you the time off work, or if you have kids you need to take care of and your boss won’t let you leave early and make up the hours elsewhere, they’re being unfair. Your boss should respect your commitments outside of work and trust you enough as an employee to know you’ll work to make up that time when it’s needed. If they don’t, it’s time to find a boss that will respect you.
You’re Not Being Paid Enough
You’ve had your job for over five years and you’ve still not been offered a pay rise? Something has to give. You don’t need to be a career physic to work out if the amount you’re being paid for your work is fair. There are lots of websites out there such as Glass Door that show the average salaries for jobs that are the same as yours. If you feel like you’re not being fairly compensated for your years of hard work at a company, it’s time to quit.
You’re Constantly Working Overtime
There comes a time in most jobs where everyone has to work additional hours or a little harder to get the extra work done that’s required. Don’t let your boss take advantage of this. If your work is constantly demanding you to work extra hours, it means that they need to hire more people. Unfair companies will try and push their staff to the limit and this often leads to staff burning out and in extreme cases, mental and physical illnesses. If your job is asking too much of you, hand in your notice.
Life is easier when we’re doing the things that we love. If your job is sucking all of the energy and excitement out of your life, it’s time to move on.
