A few decades ago, people stuck with one career. Some even stuck with a single job until they retired.
Today, that job loyalty is unheard of. According to research, the average person cycles through three to seven careers before retirement, changing jobs more than 12 times.
Sometimes, the signs you’re ready for a change are right in front of you; you just need someone else to bring them to your attention. So, let this article do the work. Watch out for the five red flags below:
1. You Have an Earnings Ceiling
While passion and fulfillment are important aspects of your career, you can’t overlook the practical side of your job. You need to earn enough money to live. Unfortunately, it’s never been harder to do that as there’s a simultaneous cost-of-living squeeze and wage freeze happening.
Some industries fare better than others, with many opportunities to climb the ranks and increase your pay appropriately. Other fields have strict ceilings on earnings. Once you reach them, there’s no way to earn more.
2. You Can’t Handle Emergencies Out of Pocket
Borrowing some money in an occasional emergency happens to everyone. You can fall into a financial predicament unexpectedly, like having to repair your car the same week you drain your emergency fund to buy a new fridge.
In an emergency, you may apply for a line of credit online. A lender like Fora accepts quick applications for lines of credit for these one-off, non-recurring situations.
The lending experts at Fora Credit do not recommend relying on your line of credit as the first line of defence against the unexpected. You should be paid enough to set aside some emergency savings to cover the lion’s share of these expenses. If every unexpected expense requires using your line of credit, you might need to start earning more so that you can build a more robust emergency fund.
3. You Have No Room to Grow or Challenge Yourself
Even a well-paying industry may not be the right fit for you if you’re in a professional rut. Think back to the last time you learned something new or faced a challenge.
If you can’t remember, this could indicate your current career does not align with your ambitions. Feeling chronically bored at work can quickly transform into burnout.
4. You Experience the Sunday Scaries Every Day
The Sunday scaries refer to the stress many feel on Sunday nights while thinking about the upcoming workweek. Some people define it as targeted anxiety about a busy week of meetings and deadlines, while others call it a “low-grade existential dread.”
Whatever you call it, it’s normal — to a degree. It’s natural to feel anxious about the loss of the weekend’s freedom, but it’s less so when you’re anxious every night. If you feel dread about going to work each day, it may be time for a change.
5. You No Longer Find the Work Fulfilling
Suppose you start a career in healthcare because you want to help others. For a while, it’s great until the realities of ungrateful patients, 14-hour days, and paperwork start to wear on you.
Healthcare — or whatever you do — may not be your calling anymore, and that’s okay. Take some time to think about what you want to do instead.
Listen to your instincts — they’re often right. If your gut tells you something is wrong, it might be time for a change.