Who among us went to work and had a really bad day? Maybe because of our work that doesn’t seem to end or our boss’ attitude on a particular activity that makes us go crazy or for any other reason. Indeed, this is not what we experience every day. However, if it is, you might question yourself “Should I Quit or Should I Still Continue?” Not a simple question to answer.
Studies have shown that 85% of employees hate their job. This means that at least 9 over 10 people you’d talk to or meets, don’t like what they do in order to earn. Now, if you’re already in this doubting stage, these 7 signs would help you determine whether you’d still want to take or leave your job behind.
1. You’re always complaining
Whether you’re in the office, outside for lunch and even at home, you’re always bringing this negativity about work, your boss and anything related to your job. You start being pessimistic and end up the same way. When you’re in social and fun gatherings, you’d rather not talk about your job or you’ll end up looking like a backstabber employee who would never want to step one foot in your company again.
A chief talent officer at MONO Advertising Agency, Julie Vessel recommended: “Can you leave your emotional baggage at work? If not, then maybe it’s time to think about what is causing you to dislike your job, and consider what you wish was different. Then, go in search of something that offers that.”
2. You dread going to Work Every Morning
When you wake up in the morning, instead of feeling excited, you tend to reject another day feeling anxious and worried about what could happen before, while and after work.
Thomas MacNeil, chief technology officer at eSalon, says that never wanting to go to work “is the start of the discontent. You’ve switched from being passionate at work to feeling like you’re just trying to survive. There are always issues and problems at any job, you’re there to solve them, but whether you see them as challenges that help you grow or problems that burn you out is entirely perspective,” he says. Everyone LOVES the weekends but you LIVE for the weekends!
3. You are Less Productive at Work or Lack Passion and Bored Often
Let’s be clear with what ‘less productive’, ‘lack of passion’ and ‘often bored’ means.
Since you are not enjoying most of your time at work or lack passion, you’re just simply waiting for the day at work to come to an end. You tend to get distracted and you are struggling in carrying tasks which in turn would make you less productive. However, when you get bored, Vessel commented that this means “your job is the easiest thing you have to do all day”.
Sometimes, getting bored and lack of passion would result in procrastination. How so? Instead of doing everything or one project in one sitting, you’d take your time to do imagine, daydream and even mixed up one task to another. In effect, you’d create a clumsy mistake. Not a great performance for you nor your company’s overall view.
4. You know you’re going to be fired
Well, of course, no one knows when or the exact day you’d get fired even if it’s obvious that you’re not creating anything useful for the company anymore. But if you’ve seen that the company is re-organizing or shuffling their management team, this may indicate leadership and strategic issue inside your company. In effect, it may result in a more challenging environment for you or they may downsize or in other terms, re-engineer employees (this means that the company is shrinking and is cutting off employees) then it’s a sign.
Maybe because your job just doesn’t quite fit your skills or talents. Maybe it’s not the right job for you and you have no interest in the industry you’re in. If a few years from now and you don’t see yourself somewhere in the company, think ahead. It’s time to go!
5. You feel Stuck and Hopeless
According to Dan Lok, a multi-million entrepreneur, one of the basic human needs is the ‘need to grow’. This means that if you are not growing anywhere in the industry that you’re in, you are simply leading yourself to death, a figurative, career-oriented death.
Instead of being able to showcase your talent, you are being neglected or bogged down without any opportunity to show your company what you’ve got! You might somehow see yourself nowhere and settled for less. Even if you’d try to talk about it to your boss, they ignore you or promised that they’d consider it but didn’t anyway. Your pay doesn’t even raise a single cent! You are being underpaid.
Just like an old famous phrase says: “There’s No Room for Advancement,” well at least for you in your current company. If you cannot simply see your growth at your particular job or got nothing to look forward to that is challenging enough, no future visions and plans from now, then maybe it’s time to take a look and move on. Why waste time in a position that doesn’t offer you any opportunities you need to grow?
6. You are Complacent
In one dictionary, complacent was defined as something being “pleased, especially with oneself or one’s merits, advantages, situation… often without awareness of some potential danger or defect”. This means that you’re trying to justify yourself even if there’s no reason to defend it, really.
“It’s just my boss is incredibly annoying and so does my co-workers but the salary and benefits are all good so I should be patient and stay”. Are you just really being ambitious or deep inside you wanted to just quit and avoid anything that would get you back from your company and in meeting your co-employees and bosses? This idea comes with fear. You keep on telling yourself that it’s just a job and I can live with it, not knowing that going out of your comfort zone means getting more from your income zone.
Just like the Alison Doyle from Balance Career shared: “If there’s more to complain about than to praise, know that you can find a job that offers more positive than negative, and you should get ready to start looking for it.” Who knows, there could be an employer who’s much interested in working with you.
7. You’re not treated like a Person
How so? Whatever you do, good, better or best of your performance, they don’t still see that you’re special. They don’t cherish and value you as a human being. When you ask for something, they wouldn’t give it to you because who you are for them is not someone special.
This also includes not being able to grow, improve and get coached. If you’re not getting any feedback or constructive criticism then how are you going to be better? How are you going to learn more? Just like Camilla Cho from the Muse said: “The best managers are engaged with your career development and regularly offer advice and guidance—and if yours doesn’t, you owe it to yourself to look elsewhere.”
If you’ve seen yourself checking at least 5 or more signals included here, then you might want to re-evaluate yourself and your company’s value or visions for someone as talented as you are. You might not be here reading all of these without considering ‘Quitting’.
Whether you’re young or not, there are still lots of possibilities store ahead for you as an employee especially if you have exemplary sets of skills and talents. Now if you’re not challenged enough or felt relevant in your current job then maybe it’s the time to invest your time, energy and skills to other departments.
