With looming stories of unemployment and a faltering economy, quitting your job is likely the last thing we expect to hear about in today’s society. But of course, it happens. People leave their jobs everyday; even when times are tough and the economy is trashed. Sometimes the right choice for your happiness and your professional future may be to find a new job. While the choice is never easy, there are always signs and symptoms that crop up to indicate it might be quittin’ time. Leaving your job should be done in a strategic and careful manner. Don’t act rashly. Explore your reasons for wanting to leave. Make sure that you are truly unhappy or ready to move on before you make any permanent choices. Look for these three things as strong signs that it might be time to find a new career path.


You Don’t Agree Your Company’s Ethics

There are times when the “true colors” of a company do not become fully apparent until after you’ve worked there for a period of time. Obviously, you’re not going to know everything about a company when you first join them. Sure, you’ll have done your research on the organization, firm, store, or business. But there are some things that you can only see with time. If you find that there are certain company policies or procedures you do not agree with or they make you feel uncomfortable, this can be a huge hindrance to your success and future at a company.

It is important that you support your company’s moral and ethical agenda and practices. As those who have dealt with it can attest to, working for a company you morally and ethically disagree with can be a real challenge. If you are feeling uncomfortable about some of the policies or procedures of your work environment, the best thing to do is let your boss or supervisor know how you are feeling. Explain what makes you feel uncomfortable about the situation and try to work with your boss to find a solution. If your morals are compromised, you will not be satisfied with your work.

Your Work/Life Balance is Off

One of the most challenging aspects of having a “real world” job is finding a way to balance your professional life with your personal life. Creating a healthy work/life balance can be extremely difficult, but is also necessary to living a comfortable and stable life. Of course, every individual is different. Some people are going to be happy spending more time on their career, while others are interested in focusing more attention on things outside of their careers. The trick is discovering exactly what is best for you and what makes you feel happy and satisfied. If you come to feel that your job is demanding too much of your personal time, this can be a huge problem.

Of course, your first step should be to try to find ways to shift things at work so that you can find a better balance. If you’ve tried but still feel that your work is being inconsiderate of your “off” time, this may indicate a time for change. Often at times, when hard workers are recognized as always completing projects and being on top of their game, they can get sucked into doing more work than they should. This is a tricky line to tow. You want to be a strong and reliable worker. But you don’t want your time to be taken advantage of. The comfortable balance you find between your work life and your personal life can be one of the biggest determinants of your overall happiness. Don’t let that suffer.

It’s Just Not Enjoyable Anymore

Sure, work is always going to be work. You’re not going to love your job every single day. Of course, there are going to be days that you would rather stay in bed or watch a movie or do anything other than be at work. We all know there are going to be days like this. But we must also understand that not every day should feel like this. You may not do what you love for a living, but you shouldn’t hate what you do for a living. At the very least, your job should be interesting to you from time to time. If you find yourself perpetually bored with your daily tasks, this may be a clear sign it’s time for a change.

It may be that you’re in the wrong field. It may be that you need more responsibility to remain motivated. Or it may be that a particular position just isn’t a good fit for you. Whatever it is, it’s important that you evaluate why you are bored or unhappy with your work. If your unhappiness is something that is fixable or temporary, find a way to change it. If you think it is something more, consider quitting. There is really no point in dreading waking up for work every single day.

Contributed by:

This is a guest post by Kristie Lewis from construction management degree. You can reach her at: kristie.lewis81@gmail.com.