You don’t hate what you do, but you no longer feel happy or satisfied in your role. Here’s how to tell when it’s time to move on.
You don’t hate what you do, but you no longer feel happy or satisfied in your role. Here’s how to tell when it’s time to move on.
1 YOU’VE REACHED THE TOP – BUT YOU’RE NOT SATISFIED
So you’re finally where you want to be – at the top of your profession – yet, somehow, it doesn’t feel good. Julia Ng, a senior executive coach at Executive Coach International, says the way you feel about your management and role are clues that it’s time to move on.
“You may be a little depressed because you think ‘this is it’ and you can no longer see opportunities for the same kind of growth you experienced earlier in your career. Another reason: there may not be anymore opportunities to move up the ranks,” says Julia.
Other people may also wonder why you haven’t moved on from your current position. “They may ask why you’re still there or still doing that job, hinting that you deserve better and could probably go anywhere else you wanted,” Julia adds.
2 YOU FEEL THERE’S NO MORE ROOM TO GROW AT YOUR COMPANY
While you’re not exactly unhappy in your current role, you feel you’re doing less than what you’re capable of. A part of you yearns to achieve more and break through new barriers, but unfortunately, your company cannot broaden your job scope or promote you, or will not give you the chance to maximise your talents.
If you are itching to accomplish more, or feel limited, or have new ideas but are not allowed to implement them for some reason, then those are clear signs that you need a “bigger pond” to swim in, Julia advises.
3 YOU DON’T HAVE ANYONE TO LEARN FROM ANYMORE
You feel like you’re the strongest one on your team. “You look at your peers and feel like you’re playing the role of team leader,” Julia points out. “You find yourself initiating things, making most of the decisions, and carrying most of your team’s weight. Your competence allows you to get things done way ahead of others who are slower or not performing to standard, and you’re frustrated and impatient about having to wait for the rest to catch up.”
As for learning from your boss, forget it. You may, in fact, find yourself competing with her and outperforming her on certain occasions – and even becoming critical of the way she does things.
Julia adds: “You’re looking for a sparring partner who can take you on at a new level, or a good mentor who can teach you what you don’t know. If you find yourself lunching with the higher-ups or people whose names are mentioned in high regard, it’s time to look for a more challenging role that will take your skills to a higher level of mastery.”
4 YOU NO LONGER FEEL CHALLENGED IN WHAT YOU DO
The right job should make you feel like there’s always more to learn and do. It should excite, inspire and empower you. You know you’ve outgrown your current position if you start to experience the opposite.
“You may feel that you’re no longer growing and learning, that there’s nothing new to discover and no juicy puzzles to solve that would fully utilise your potential,” says Julia.
“In fact, finding flaws in everything has become your newest challenge. You may feel bored and restless, or like you’re just going through the motions of completing tasks. You may even feel a sense of purposelessness.”
As a result, you may find yourself engaging in other personal things while at work – surfing the Internet, messaging friends or playing games on your smartphone, for example.
Julia adds it may even get to a point where you start showing up late for work, leaving earlier, or going on extended lunch breaks. “Watching the clock and showing disinterest are signs that it’s time to have an honest conversation with your manager about moving into a new role or taking on different projects and responsibilities to ignite the spark of creativity again.”
5 YOU HAVE YOUR EYE ON A BIGGER, BETTER POSITION IN ANOTHER COMPANY
You either can’t see where you’re going in your current job, or you can see where you want to go and it’s not there in your current job or company, says Julia. You’ve started doing research on what other companies are like, the work they’re producing and the vision they support, and you’re more inspired by what you find there than at your current workplace.
“You find yourself dreaming about what it would be like to work in these other companies and the picture always looks bigger, better and brighter,” Julia adds. “When your existing position no longer supports your long-term career goals, it’s time to find something that does.” SH
Our experts
JULIA NG, senior executive coach at Executive Coach International.
PAUL HENG, executive coach and founder of Next Career Consulting Group, Asia.
How to Tell that You Have the Ideal Job
Nobody wants to feel stuck in a boring or unsatisf ying role. To prevent this from happening, you need to proactively manage your career.
Being in a job that doesn’t make you feel like you’re fully utilising your talents, skills and experience is akin to running on a treadmill, says Paul Heng, executive coach and founder of Next Career Consulting Group, Asia. It’s like you’re running non-stop but not going anywhere. You can avoid getting to this point by reviewing your career once or twice a year, using the “Ideal Job” rule.
First, write down everything you do in your job. Next to each one, write “Learning”, “Stretching” or “Expert”. The first is for those tasks or duties that teach you new skills or expand your knowledge as you do them. The second is for the tasks and duties that you know how to do but aren’t quite an expert at yet. The last is for those activities you can do with your eyes closed.
“If your list is equally divided up among these three descriptions, you have an ideal job. This is called the One-third or Ideal Job rule,” says Paul.
“Over time, if you continue in the same job, you’ll find that the Learning tasks become Stretching tasks, and the Stretching tasks become Expert tasks. At some point, you will be able to write ‘Expert’ next to everything you do. This is when boredom, frustration and dissatisfaction may set in and you’ll realise that you’ve outgrown your job.”
“How we knew it was time to move on”
“After six years, I felt like I was ready for a bigger role, but I also wanted to change industries. I was hungry for more challenges and wanted to pick up new business knowledge and industry practices. I’ve not had any regrets moving into my new job.” – Shih Lin Koo, 42, regional director
“I knew it was time to move on when I felt I was no longer being challenged. I was always going above and beyond, yet I didn’t feel like I was thriving in my role. I also wanted to do more but did not have the opportunity to do so.” – Hayley Pereira, 28, senior mar keting executive
“I felt that my previous role was no longer serving me and I was starting to doubt my self-worth. After some soul-searching, I realised I was drawn to a different industry altogether, where I’d be living my passion and tapping into my talents and interests.” – Jo Wong, 37, kinesiologist-in-training
“My previous job was meaningful and fulfilling, but I felt I could grow more and make a bigger difference. I wanted the opportunity to perform strategic work, which would have a bigger effect on the bottom line. After the transition, I feel my job horizon has expanded.” – Camille Rose Pacis, 32, senior PR manager
Main Photo 123RF.com.
