3 Signs It’s Time To Leave Your Job

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3 Signs It?s Time To Leave Your Job

Even the best job will include days that leave you frustrated and tired. But there is a world of difference between having a job in which you have bad days and having a bad job. If you find yourself in the latter category, it may be time to leave.

You will feel the need to stay. There are bills to pay; and though the economy has recovered from the recent economic recession, it can be tough to find a new gig. My own experience with this occurred before the economic meltdown of 2008?at a time when the boom of that decade was at its peak. Despite being well-educated, well-qualified, and well-connected, I found the going hard, even within my field. My friends at rival companies were able to get me interviews. I got call-backs and match-ups with ongoing projects, but in the end no final offer. I stayed with the firm I was with until I realized that I had to get out no matter what. That is when I made the bold decision to break from the industry all together and strike out on my own. It wasn?t easy, but I managed to get through the inevitable lean period that comes with such an action.

What made me so determined to risk everything to leave my job? Why was I compelled to move so precipitously?

It was not one particular thing. It never is. Instead, it was a number of things that had come together over a period of time to drive me to a point of such anguish and despair that I could no longer function as an employee and could barely live my life as a person.

Here are 3 signs that you are heading towards, or are already in, a similar situation, and that it is time to leave your job.

1. You get along with no one

If you seem to be in constant conflict with everyone you work with, it?s a sign that you?re not a good fit for the company. This doesn?t have to include verbal arguments. It may be the case that every idea you give is shot down and every opinion you offer is disregarded. In the situation I was in, I discovered that my daily arguments with the onsite project manager were the result of the way the company in general did business. It was a way that was completely at odds with what I believed to be high professional standards. I found this out by having lunch with different high-level managers back at headquarters. Apparently, I was the only person on the team not privy to the way the company actually dealt with clients, which is why I felt so isolated and frustrated. This is an important lesson. If you are significantly at odds with the practices and atmosphere of your workplace, then you may want to think about leaving.

2. You get the Sunday night dreads

If you cannot enjoy your weekend because you hate the thought of returning to work on Monday, then something is seriously wrong. The Sunday night dreads?which is the best way I can describe the feeling?are the worst. It is a sinking feeling in your stomach and a kind of agitation throughout your entire body. Things got so bad with me that I could not even go out on Sunday nights, knowing what I would have to deal with the next day. I even lost my appetite on a number of occasions and felt nauseous when I got up on Monday mornings.

3. You?re utterly bored

Another sign it?s time to leave your job is that you are utterly bored in doing it. Most jobs require one to perform some drudgery from time to time. But if you feel unchallenged and unrewarded by your job, it?s time to move on. Staying with the company will only deaden your intelligence, as well as your dreams and aspirations. Boredom is a killer. It can turn you into a cynic and a defeatist. No job is worth hanging on to if it stifles your energies and smothers your innate sense of liveliness.