THE DAYS OF WORKING AT THE SAME COMPANY FOR YOUR WHOLE CAREER ARE LONG GONE…
According to a study from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, American workers hold an average of 10.8 jobs between the ages of 18 and 42. A study from 2008 finds that the average American’s tenure with their current employer is only 4.1 years. Job-hopping is the new norm. For many employees, the question isn’t if they should switch jobs, but rather when. How do you know if it’s time for you to look for a new job? Below are five indicators it’s time to start looking around…
1. THERE’S NO OPPORTUNITY FOR ADVANCEMENT
There are few things more frustrating in a job than being stuck in the same position without any opportunity for advancement. If you’ve continued your education, developed your skills, and expanded your general knowledge, you’ve earned an opportunity to grow within your company.
Are you seeking to supervise a team? Manage projects? Take on another challenge at your company? Talk to your boss about your career path, asking about opportunities for advancement. Ideally, he or she would share your enthusiasm and help you develop a path to reach your goals. Unfortunately, you may not strike such luck.
If your supervisor isn’t on board with your larger vision, you may not be working for the right company. If your employer doesn’t provide an opportunity for advancing within your company, investigate openings with other companies in your area and embark upon a job search elsewhere.
2.YOUR COMPANY HAS UNDERGONE MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF LAYOFFS
Having full confidence in the future and long-term stability of your company is important to you. In many trade industries, the loss of one major customer or large project can undermine a business’s livelihood, directly jeopardizing your position. If your place of employment isn’t stable, you are in the line of fire when layoffs come around.
While loyalty to your employer is likely very important to you, you also have to weigh your own needs. Your place of employment should always promise to support your needs as a hardworking and loyal employee. If business is getting slower and talk of layoffs is picking up, take the initiative to begin exploring other job opportunities for yourself.
The last thing you want is to lose your job and face an unexpected period of unemployment. So take the first step and see what’s out there. Being prepared and proactive can only benefit you.
3. YOU LACK CONFIDENCE IN UPPER MANAGEMENT
When you’re employed by a company, you are, in large part, dependent upon upper management to ensure the business’s long-term growth and success. If the folks who reside in these roles are skilled and competent, your company will likely face a bright future.
If the opposite is true, it may be time to start looking for a new job with a company whose culture and approach you have confidence in. Talk to friends and associates who within the skilled trades industry, asking them how much confidence they have in their company’s upper management. If you choose to embark upon the job search process, be sure to ask employers key questions that will give you insight into their management style. With all of your experience, you will be able to pick up on whether you trust their approach to growing and sustaining the company.
4. YOU ARE UNDER-COMPENSATED OR UNDER-APPRECIATED
It’s hard to be enthusiastic about your work when you feel like your employer doesn’t appreciate all that you bring to the business. Maybe you feel like you should be earning more. Or perhaps you feel like you’ve been overlooked for a promotion or new position. Perhaps your employer isn’t providing any means of advancing yourself in your career: training, education, or programs to polish your skills and relevance in the field.
If you identify with one of these scenarios, talk with your employer one-on-one. There may be a reasonable explanation for the lack promotion. Perhaps your manager wants to see you improve in certain areas before you take on more ownership. If this is the case, you can now re-direct your focus on the areas where there’s room for improvement, and take constructive steps toward earning a promotion.
Unfortunately, it can often be the case that your employer has no good reason for not providing opportunities for advancement. Your employer may quite simply refuse to offer a better pay, training, or promotion. If this is the case, start looking for a new job. You want to work for someone who values your contribution and provides opportunities for you to grow.
5. YOU DREAD MONDAYS
The most obvious sign that you should find a new job is that you absolutely dread going into work each Monday. The average American spends 8.9 hours a day working. Say you stay with your company for 10 years, do you really want to be miserable for 23,140 hours of your life. Your stress level and deep unhappiness negatively affect your work productivity, relationships, and mental and physical health. The bottom line is that it isn’t worth it.
Whether it’s because of management, interpersonal conflicts, work conditions, or other factors, your health and happiness takes precedence. Don’t stay with a job that makes you miserable. If you have talked to your boss about your frustrations, and he hasn’t been able to resolve them, take that as an indicator. It is time for you to find an employer who will support you for the hardworking tradesman or woman that you are. Trust us, they are out there.
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