You have a bad day at work, and you spend your commute home fantasizing about marching into your boss’ office and telling him or her, “I quit!”
We have all been there. But, there are other reasons to leave a job besides having a bad day (or a series of them). Sometimes, it just isn’t challenging enough, sometimes you feel like you are in a rut or you are just in an “It’ll do for now” situation.
If long-term employees are keeping their eye out for other jobs, something is probably wrong
You might even be asking yourself, am I content or am I complacent? Complacency is the “danger zone,” says Camille Cho in 7 Signs You Should Leave Your Job (Sooner Rather Than Later).
“Complacency tends to generate excuses … and leads us to settle. Worst of all, complacency will eventually lead to fear. And fear holds us back,” Cho relates.
According to Cho, here are some telltale signs that complacency may be creeping in, and you need to seriously consider looking for other jobs.
1. Just spinning your wheels:
If you’ve been at the same company, in the same job, without a promotion or advancement in the past three years (and you want to advance) — move on! You should have seen some sort of movement within that time frame.
2. You don’t get feedback:
It’s hard to learn when you receive only vague feedback or none at all. Research shows that asking for and receiving feedback, while not always easy to take, is key to becoming more effective at our jobs. In a study of 51,896 executives, those who rarely asked for feedback (ranking in the bottom 10%) were rated at the 15th percentile in overall leadership effectiveness. On the other hand, leaders who often asked for feedback (ranking in the top 10%) were rated, on average, at the 86th percentile in overall leadership effectiveness.
With the clear importance of feedback, managers should be engaged in your career development and offer guidance and feedback, especially when asked. Move on if this is not happening or if any requests have been denied or ignored.
3. The learning stops here:
No new challenges? Nothing new learned? It may be time to find a new job. You have to be proactive in finding ways to learn new skills in your new jobs, but if the opportunities to do so don’t exist, you probably are working for a company that doesn’t want to invest in your career development. The answer? You guessed it! Move on.
4. There’s constant turnover:
If people are exiting the building like it’s on fire, something is probably wrong. If even good employees are disgruntled, something is probably wrong. If long-term employees are keeping their eye out for other jobs, something is probably wrong. If there is regular “re-structuring,” something is probably wrong (not to mention irritating).
“I’m not encouraging anyone to blindly follow the herd, but take it as a warning sign, and ask your departing pals why they chose to move on. Their responses may be applicable to your situation, as well,” says Cho.
5. Headhunters want you:
When a recruiter calls, it actually can mean more than you think. It can mean that your industry is hiring, and you are sitting in a good position. Give it a chance; your dream job just may be on the other end of the phone. Want to know more about how to handle headhunters and recruiters? Check out How to Act when Headhunters Call You.
6. It feels like the right time:
You know you. If your gut is telling you that you are ready to move on, heed your inner voice and explore your options.
Cho suggests updating your resume at least twice a year, so you are ready to put it out there at a moment’s notice. You never know when the right moment to move on will strike!