When you gaze into the long term future, you just don’t see yourself sitting at the same desk you currently occupy and staring at the same faces every single day for the next ten years. But at the same time, you may not feel ready to walk out the door—after all, this place offers a steady paycheck and a buffer against the scary unknown. So what should you do? Should you buck up and soldier on, dismissing your restless feelings as a sign of temporary boredom or petty discontent? Or should you square your shoulders and face the world beyond these walls once and for all? Here are ten reasons to make the second choice and get moving.
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You’re miserable the moment your eyes open.
If the sound of your alarm causes an instant wave of dread or depression, something is wrong and it’s time for a change.
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The circumstances that brought you here no longer exist.
You wanted to work here because you’d have close contact to a mentor you admire. Or maybe you chose this job because it added some zest to your resume. Or it offered a short commute. Or you really liked the facility. But the facility has changed, your mentor is gone, your resume is officially zesty, you now live in a different part of town, and it’s time to go.
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You can’t rely on your boss’s support.
One of the strongest benefits of any specific job is the guarantee of a recommendation. Many employees put up with misery because they hope to leverage their boss’s influence and use his or her testimony to open future doors. If you don’t believe this will happen for you and you don’t like, can’t trust, or don’t plan to rely on your boss’s support in the future, don’t put off the inevitable. Just leave now.
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You can make more money elsewhere.
Money is serious and important. And if you aren’t being paid the standard market value for your skills and contributions, get moving. Don’t stay because of “all this place has done for you”, because your coworkers feel like family, or because your boss would be heartbroken if you left. Your boss will get over it. Sentimentality is expensive; can you afford to pay this bill every year?
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An opportunity has become available.
A brief window of opportunity is opening, and you feel excited about this potential new job or new project. Seize the moment and apply. If you receive an offer, you can cross that bridge when you get there.
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You’re bored.
If you’ve been told that boredom is a character weakness, keep in mind that this applies to short flashes of ennui that pass like scattered clouds with a few days of patience. There’s another type of boredom that lasts for years and can undermine your happiness, your health, and the quality of your life. If your boredom is relentless, make a change.
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You’re being mistreated or abused.
If you’re being treated poorly or you’ve been passed over more than once for a deserved promotion or raise, it’s time to go. Respect is a two-way street. If you’re giving it, you should be receiving it as well.
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Your skills are getting rusty.
This place only demands a limited number of skills from you day after day, and your other skills sets are going unused or haven’t been updated in years. Get moving so you can continue to learn and grow.
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This company has no future.
If you’re working for an outdated industry with no hope of a rebound, protect yourself and get moving before this ship sinks and leaves you stranded.
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You can do better.
Put simply: You’re ready, willing, and able to launch the next chapter of your career story. You’re just being held back by one or two fully surmountable obstacles. Identify these obstacles so you can overcome them and move forward. Then head to MyPerfectResume to get valuable insight and key tools that can help you wax your job application.
