We all need to work, there’s no avoiding it. Like taxes and chores, work is something that the majority of humans need to undertake to afford their rent, mortgages, bills, groceries, leisure activities and hobbies. Your career is important, because you spend so much of your waking life at work. It makes sense that you’d want to enjoy your career. And for some people, their careers provide fulfillment, satisfaction and contentment. Other people view work as a means to an end, and find enjoyment in activities outside of work.
However, your career should be enjoyable. If it’s not, it might be time to switch things up and change careers. You might consider investigating the best accelerated BSN programs to quickly upskill and find a rewarding career path. But you may not be sure if this is the right move for you, so this helpful article will share six top signs it might be time to change careers. Read on to discover more.
You Don’t Enjoy Your Work
If you don’t enjoy your job at all, this is a major sign that it might be time to change careers. A significant portion of American workers don’t enjoy their work, with only just over half the population reporting job satisfaction. However, this doesn’t mean that you should stay in a job you hate just to make ends meet. Life is too short and precious to grind away in a dead-end role that you don’t find fulfilling. If the Sunday Scaries are real for you, and you dread Monday mornings, this is an excellent sign that it’s time to switch things up.
The risks of staying in a job you dislike include burning out, which means you’ll be exhausted, tired and not able to work at all, resentment towards your role which can spill out sideways at your co-workers and management, and an overall negative attitude towards life. This doesn’t sound appealing, does it? So, is it time for a change?
You’re Not Paid Enough
The average American salary is around $70,000 a year. However keep in mind that people with high salaries contribute towards this average. However, if you feel as though you’re not being paid enough for your skills, experience, knowledge and expertise this may be a sign that you need to embark on a new career. It can be difficult to gain pay increases staying in the same job, even if you go for internal promotions. Sometimes the best way to snare a pay rise is to leave the company for a competitor, or to switch career paths entirely.
While you may initially take a pay cut when you train or study for a new career, once you’re qualified and appropriately skilled, you could see your pay rise steadily. Being paid a good wage for your time contributes to job satisfaction, but it also makes other elements of life easier. Being able to afford your living expenses, bills and other responsibilities with some disposable income for things you enjoy improves your wellbeing and overall satisfaction with life.
You Want to Improve Work Life Balance
Some careers don’t lend themselves well to work life balance. Shift work, in particular, is notorious for this. It’s incredibly difficult to find balance when you knock off in the early morning, need to sleep during the day and get up in the evening to get to work.
Some other careers are also bad for work life balance, such as long haul transport and logistics, remote mining or construction work and jobs where you have to put in long hours. If this is your situation, a change in careers might be just the ticket. Some jobs will see you put in a 9-5 working day, while still paying well. For instance, information technology and cyber security jobs have regular hours with a steady paycheck, and lots of benefits. Speaking of benefits…
4. You Want Better Benefits and Perks
If your current role doesn’t offer the best benefits, perks and other sweeteners it may be a great time to change careers. For instance, some industries offer more paid time off, sick days, health insurance, pension plans and other benefits that are enticing. And that’s just workplace benefits – not to mention perks. Some industries have great perks such as on-site gyms, childcare, juice and snack bars, free phones, laptops and even a company car. If you’re looking for better benefits and perks in your job a switch in careers can be an excellent move.
5. You Want To Follow Your Passion
If your current job doesn’t align with your values, goals and passion then a new job that does could be a winning thing. For instance, you may currently work in a sales role, but really want to help people in life. In that case, working for a charity or non profit may be a great move. Or, you currently work a trade that is demanding on your body, but you’ve got a passion for writing – in which case becoming a paid freelance or content writer could be an excellent move. If you can find a job that aligns with your personal passions and vision then go for it.
6. You’re Not Challenged in Your Current Role
Some people thrive on challenges, problem-solving and puzzles. If your current role doesn’t offer you any of this, you might find work boring and find yourself listless, disengaged and fatigued. A brand new career path that can offer you the challenge you crave may be just what you need to become reinvigorated with work.
A Career Change Conclusion
This informative article has shared six signs that it might be time to change careers. If any of these jump out at you – some, or even just one, then now might be the time to switch things up.