new job

Is It Time For A New Job?

By SC Chua for Yahoo! Southeast Asia
http://ph.she.yahoo.com/blogs/self-and-style/time-job-061857718.html

There are bad days at work… and then there are days that make you want to tear your hair out and put in your month's notice. A job is pretty much like a relationship; you know in your gut when it's just not working out and that you should be moving on to a better one.

But how do you tell if a new job is what you need to jumpstart your career or if you are simply jumping the career gun? Take heed from these signs.

1. You've been miserable and bitter for months

Sure, there are days when you feel like you hate your job and can't stand your boss, but is it something that has been going on month after month?

Time for a new scenery, says Alison Green, author of Managing to Change the World: The Nonprofit Leader's Guide to Getting Results. "It's a good sign that nothing is going to change and you should start looking for somewhere where you'll be happier."

2. You've been passed over for promotions. Again.

If it happens once, fine. But if it happens repeatedly, maybe it is time to take the hint. If the problem doesn't lie with you, it could actually be with the organization, which either does not have a position for you or is unable to recognize talent. Whatever the reason, it's better for you to get out before you get pegged into your role.

Says Terri Deems, career consultant and author of Make Job Loss Work For You, "If all feedback says you're the right person for these promotions and they're still not happening, chances are you've gone as far as you can in the organization." Our suggestion? Find a company that has a role for you or one that will give you the opportunity to go far.

3. Management issues

Sure, your boss may seem clueless, but if it appears that every manager in the company is the same, then it is time for you to reconsider if you want to stick with a company that doesn't know what they are doing, especially if the organization seems to be in chaos all the time. It's one thing for an individual to be clueless, but another for the entire company culture to exude that.

4. Your company is failing

The boat is sinking. And it's time for you to jump before you sink along with it. Staying on a sinking ship can in fact damage your long-term prospects (especially if you turn down a job opportunity in the midst of it all). Clues that your company isn't doing great? Declining stock price, increase in turnover, indiscriminating cost-cutting, low workplace morale (even from your boss) are some clues to look out for.

5. You've been given fewer responsibilities.

Is your boss sidelining you for projects? Whatever the reason may be, being given less work is never a good sign; either you or your company is in trouble. And with no new responsibilities, how are you going to prove your worth?

If this sounds like something you're going through, it's time to take action, says Adrian Miller, author of The Blatant Truth: 50 Ways to Sales Success. "You can't lose anything by being direct and calling out your supervisor on the fact that you aren't given the same amount of work and asking how the situation can be corrected. This might prompt being let go, but isn't it better than just waiting for the axe to fall?" he says.

6. You wish you were doing something else

So you really want to be in advertising, but instead you're doing some random office job. While it is reasonable to make ends meet, being in a job you have no passion for won't spell success. Instead, it will result in low morale as well as unhappiness that will spill over to other parts of your life—think Monday blues all the time!

Says John Salt, director for Totaljobs.com, "Work is such an important part of most of our lives, and if your job truly makes you unhappy then you should look to change that—you owe yourself that much."

Wait! What if all you really need is a short break to get away from your mundane work life so you can come back motivated and rejuvenated to take it on again? Or perhaps a new responsibility to help spear on a newfound passion at work?

To determine if that's what you actually need instead of a new job, Salt recommends you ask yourself the following: "Is it your current role that you are unhappy with or work in general? If it's the latter, how will changing jobs solve that? If it's the former, you can change your current role to make it more enjoyable without leaving your present employment, or do you need fresh surroundings and challenges to help you start to love your job again?"

If you find yourself in the following situations, we suggest you hold on to the resume first.

• You are less productive, especially if you find yourself taking a lot of breaks to accomplish a project. This is a sign the current demands on you are exceeding your resources. Talk to your boss for some time off to clear you mind.

• Find yourself getting short-tempered, even with the nicest person in the office? A vacation will do that attitude some good, especially if work stress is what's getting to you.

• You dream about quitting. Everybody does it. But before you actually make it come true, try taking a few days off to see if maybe what you really need is just a break and some R&R instead of a new position.

• The quality of your work isn't what it used to be. Blame it on burnout but it happens even to the best of us, especially if you are pulling in all-nighters. Before it takes a toll on your performance, check yourself on a holiday to de-stress so you can come back the stellar performer you used to be.

• You are bored at work. Spreadsheets, again? Time to ask the boss for a new challenge or responsibility so you can hone new skills.