When is the Right Time for a Career Change?

Changing jobs and careers is more common than you may think. Your interests and personal goals naturally evolve and change from when you first started out in your career, or you may feel you no longer resonate with the company’s values. In the modern and evolving professional landscape, the idea of sticking to a single career path for a lifetime has transformed. People go through different roles and industries, switching careers an average of three or more times during their lifetimes.

Changing careers is a major decision that can have a lasting impact on your professional prospects and personal life. In this blog post,  Morgan Philips discusses when switching jobs might be the right choice for you and common signs that indicate it’s time for a career change.

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When is it Time to Change Jobs?

Feeling Burnout at Work

Feeling burnout at work is often the first sign it is time to look for a new job. Burnout can occur for a number of reasons, particularly if your  workload or responsibilities increase when you are no longer motivated by your job.

Each job has its own stress-factors that can usually be overcome by your own motivation, but that same motivation can be hard to come by when you are feeling dissatisfied with your job. Are you struggling to make the commute to work, find yourself lacking sleep, or find yourself more prone to irritation or frustration more frequently? These can all be signs you are experiencing burnout.

Burnout is a type of work-related stress that causes physical and emotional exhaustion, causing people to experience a reduced sense of accomplishment, the feeling of hopelessness, and can be a contributing factor to depression and anxiety. Identifying when you are feeling burnout is not just important to your career development, but also to maintaining your mental health. The quote “a happy worker is a productive worker” is a statistically proven fact, with overall happiness contributing to an increase of 20% in productivity for most people, according to a study published by Forbes. 

If you are feeling burnout at work, this is a clear warning sign that you may need a change in career, or a new working environment. That isn’t to say that all burnout should be considered a reason to leave your current position, but it is an issue that must be actively addressed. You may wish to speak to your current employers about this issue, particularly if you are not ready to leave your current position. 

Feeling Bored at Work

Another important factor in switching jobs, boredom at work will often result in a reduction in productivity and the quality of your work.

For people experiencing boredom at work, this can often lead them to direct their thoughts toward other jobs or careers that might  provide more excitement or intellectual stimulation. Not every job is ‘exciting’, and every individual has different interests that may stimulate them, but identifying the exact type of career that offers you the most satisfaction may help you become a better worker in the future.

Employees that are motivated in their current roles are likely to produce higher quality work, identify areas of improvement for their company, assert themselves as a valued member of staff, and make a lasting impression as a high-achiever.

In the modern world of working, particularly for those whose career development may be influenced by the references they obtain or their professional  connections on sites such as LinkedIn, being known as a highly-motivated individual can go a long way to securing your future career, even if you are trying to move into an industry you have no prior experience in.

Lack of Development Opportunities

You may feel as though you have plateaued at your current job where there are no further opportunities for development, or you may not wish to continue further into your current career path. A lack of development opportunities is usually a sign it is time to leave your current position if you have further ambitions for your career. 

There may be times when you have simply reached the top of your development path within your company, for instance, if you have worked your way up the career ladder to a management position, there may only be department heads or managing directors above you. In this scenario, you may not have the opportunity to move into one of these positions unless a department head or managing director leaves the company, which may be unlikely if they are comfortable in their positions.

Searching for new opportunities at a larger or more established company can provide fantastic career development, aiding in the expansion of your knowledge and experience. 

Loss of Belief in Your Company

When first starting out at a new company, one of the things that may have attracted you to the job may have been the company culture, ethos, plans for expansion, or public image; but as companies grow there may be a change in their attitude towards staff or their image as company.

Feeling Unheard or Undervalued

For many people, it can feel as though their opinions or work is undervalued. If you often make suggestions for change or improvement within your company that go unacknowledged, or the work you produce is of a higher quality than other members of staff who receive praise or even promotions instead of you, this may be a sign it is time to look for a new job.

Motivation can often come in the form of acknowledgement for some. If you feel undervalued at your current company, particularly if this is an issue you have raised with management, supervisors, or other relevant staff members, then it may be time to look for another job.

When is it too Late to Change Careers?

You can switch careers at any age, and for some people their years of experience in 1 particular industry may influence them to change careers later in life. With the rise of working from home, home learning, and the ability for people to run their own businesses from home, it is easier than ever to have a complete career change at later stages of life. Whether you are considering a career change at 40, career change at 50, or even 60, it is never too late to move into a new career that you are truly passionate about.