9 Signs It Might Be Time To Quit Your Job Before The Year Is Up

Put Simply, You’re Bored

For many of us there comes a time in any job where we’ve nailed it. We know the routine and we’ve got it down. But if your bosses aren’t interested in setting you future challenges or you’ve reached as far as you can go in the promotional chain, it’s easy to get bored. “Maybe you’ve stopped being challenged. Or maybe your role has changed over time. Maybe you’re just so used to doing the job that the autopilot approach is all you know,” posits Michael Cheary from recruitment specialist Reed. “Whatever the reason, it doesn’t really matter. Being bored or unchallenged by your job is a key sign that things aren’t right. You may think you are content sitting on social media or silently staring out of the window for eight hours a day, but if your day is filled with ever more ingenious ways to waste time, walking away may be the only option.” The experts at recruitment giant Hays agree: “Having no goal to focus on and nothing to achieve can really kill your enthusiasm for a job. If there are no new skills to learn, no new responsibilities and no promotion on the horizon, why stay?”

The Culture Is Toxic

There are a number of indicators of a toxic workplace culture, explain the experts. “Employee morale is often a casualty of punishing hours, an unreasonable boss, impossible objectives and office politics,” warn the experts from Hays. “If any of those sound familiar to you, and you notice a serious lack of enthusiasm and positive interaction within your teams, it’s probably a sign that you should be looking elsewhere.” However, make sure you look at things with a level head, and don’t make any rash decisions, they add. “Moments of conflict at work are not, by themselves, wholly unusual, but if continuing issues within the entire workplace are causing a really sustained and detrimental effect on your mental health, it’s definitely time to take action.”

Your Ideas & Authority Aren’t Respected

No matter your rank in the company, everyone should be a trusted and respected voice when it comes to bringing new ideas to the table. But if yours aren’t being heard, or are actively ignored, it can be frustrating and demoralising. “If you believe you’ve done all you can to make yourself heard, it may be time to make a move to a role where your input will be more valued,” agree the experts at Hays. An undermining of your authority can also be hugely frustrating. “If you’re not respected as a leader, your ability to make changes is severely limited, impacting your morale as well as your development” explains the Hays team. “You may have tried to challenge the root cause of the behaviour and reassert your authority, but if it continues regardless, you should look elsewhere.”

You’re Constantly Complaining

When we’re unhappy at work, sometimes the only way to cope is to constantly sound off, whether it’s to your family, friends or even your fellow colleagues. “Everyone’s entitled to a bit of a grumble once in a while,” admits Michael. “But if you’re venting your frustrations so much that you’ve started punctuating your sentences with #RantOver and people have started avoiding you in the kitchen, it’s probably not a good sign.”

Clock Watching Is A Habit

Even when we’re working from home, knowing you have to clock a certain number of hours and constantly having that figure in mind can be a sign something isn’t working. “Sometimes, five minutes can sometimes seem like an hour,” agree the experts at Hays. “At other times you can look up from your desk after no time at all and see that it’s suddenly dark outside. For most people checking the time on a Friday afternoon is probably a pretty standard weekend countdown ritual, but if you find yourself clock watching at 2pm on a Tuesday it’s probably an indicator that you’re not interested in the assignment at hand. It may be that you’re not being challenged enough, or that you simply don’t have enough to do. Perhaps the answer to making the day fly past is a simple one – find a job you really like.”

You Dream About Working Elsewhere

If you find yourself scrolling job sites or checking the vacancies pages at other companies more often than not, the experts agree it could be a sign that you want out. “There’s nothing wrong with seeing what else is out there,” says Michael. “In fact, it can be a great way to make sure you know what you’re worth in the current market. The only problem is when you’re spending every available minute searching for a new start that any new role seems appealing. If you’re seriously thinking about moving on, sometimes the only way to make a fresh start is to pluck up enough courage to take the plunge.”

You Can’t Switch Off

It’s easy to see constant work as a bit of an addiction, and the experts will tell you it can get in the way of seeing the light – especially when you’re too busy to notice how miserable you might actually be. “Wake up. Go to work. Get home. Do a little more work. Go to sleep. Do some more work. Repeat. Hard work and dedication are great, but some roles take things a little too far,” warns Michael. “Being overworked can lead to stress, a poor work/life balance or worse. So, if working nine ‘til five seems like a luxury to you, reassess the real reasons why you can’t switch off.”

You Hate Mondays

Sunday night blues are par for the course in many jobs, but if you dread Mondays to the extent it’s taking a toll on your mental health, it could be a sign this isn’t the career for you. “If you often feel a certain prickling apprehension creep in on Sunday evening, you wouldn’t be alone,” agree the experts at Hays. “The ‘Sunday blues’ is a common phenomenon – these feelings in themselves are common, but if the thought of work the next day is having a really negative effect on your mental state and causing acute anxiety, perhaps you should be thinking twice about whether you’re in the right job. Life really is too short to dread Mondays.” 

The Passion Just Isn’t There

If you just don’t love what you do, sometime it can be impossible to muster up enough enthusiasm to see it through. “Sometimes you can have the nicest boss, the most hard-working and collaborative team, the most rewarding workplace culture – and it still isn’t enough,” agree the experts at Hays. “It may be that the work itself isn’t challenging enough, that you don’t think your contribution is felt, or simply that you’ve just lost interest in the meaning and purpose of what you’re trying to achieve. Whatever it is, if you find you’ve really fallen out of love with what you do, then that’s a sure-fire sign that you should be moving on.”

 
​For more information on job hunting and career tips, visit Hays.com or Reed.co.uk