5 Signs It Might Be Time For You to Change Careers

You know you aren’t happy with where you’re at in your career. . . but you’re not sure what to do  about it. Recognizing that you need to make a career change can test your ego, your pride, and your sense of self-worth—but it will always be worth it to set yourself up for a more fulfilling, rewarding role. These 5 signs will help you identify whether it’s time to alter your path in favor of the growth you’ve been seeking.

5 Signs It Might Be Time to Change Your Career

1. You’re beginning to resent your responsibilities—and your paycheck

One of the first signs that you are unsatisfied or unfulfilled by your career is that you’ve begun to resent your job. Instead of feeling passionate about the work you do, you resent every new task that gets added to your plate; every email you need to respond to, or every responsibility you hold. Maybe you even start to resent your colleagues, feeling irritated when something is asked of you. It may not be obvious at first, these feelings of resentment; you may first notice them in the form of apathy, bitterness, or indignation. Resentment can also pop up when you receive a paycheck that you don’t feel matches the work you’re doing, or what you have to offer to your workplace: if you feel you’re not making enough to keep you satisfied in your job, that is a great sign it might be time to think about making a change.

2. You’re constantly exhausted, feeling drained by what you do

The modern workplace can be taxing, yes; there will inevitably be days that leave you feeling tired, overwhelmed, and stressed. But this shouldn’t be every day. If you find yourself dreading going into work, and primarily living for the weekend, invite in a bit of reflection on why you feel that way. Are you burnt out and in need of a temporary relief from certain tasks? Can you delegate any of your responsibilities for the time being in order to free up space in your mind, to lighten your mental load? Is your stress only caused by work, or is there something going on in your personal life that is seeping into your career?

If you answer these questions and find that your exhaustion goes deeper, that it can’t be fixed by a shorter to-do list or a brief period of time off, it may signify that a bigger change needs to occur. It is nearly impossible to have a career that never leaves you feeling worn out, or fatigued at a certain point, but if that has become the only way you feel when you go into work? Come back to your values and consider whether you are willing to sacrifice so much of your time, energy, and effort for something that is draining your cup on a consistent basis—especially if it’s impacting your life outside of work.

3. You and/or your values have changed since starting your career

It’s incredibly common for someone like you, who is somewhere in the middle of your career, to suddenly feel out of alignment with what you’re doing. If you are years into your job, chances are that your values may have shifted slightly (or greatly) since starting that job, as is normal in ever-evolving human beings. If you notice that your career is no longer supporting your personal values, beliefs, and ethics, it may mean that you have simply outgrown your role, or changed as a person in a way that strays from your original job title, duties, or workplace values. Start by getting clear on who you are and what matters to you most, and reflect on whether your current career supports or clashes with that.

4. You feel your talent is being wasted, or isn’t being appreciated

Similar to the feeling of resenting your job, it can be challenging and discouraging to feel like your talent, skills, and unique gifts are being wasted at your current job. When you think about all you bring to the table, are you feeling recognized by your employers and/or colleagues? Do you feel like your special sauce is being appreciated, valued, and respected? If not, it’s easy to resent the people around you, and feel like so much of your potential is being disregarded. Feeling valued in your career is incredibly important in finding the motivation to do your best work, and to dedicate yourself to your tasks: if you feel your talents are being wasted, it’s easy to lose motivation and stop performing at the level expected of you. Why would you, if it doesn’t feel worth it?

5. You feel stuck where you’re at, unable to see potential for growth or opportunity

Finally, you may feel frustrated by the fact that you’ve been in the same career for so long, or that you’ve allowed yourself to get to this point where you feel uninspired, resentful, and apathetic. The sunk-cost fallacy plays a massive role in career paths for many of us, when we feel like we’ve put so much of our time into a role that we feel it’s not worth it to change at this point, or that we’d lose all the progress we’ve made thus far. This often leaves us feeling completely frozen where we’re at, so wrapped up in our current job that we can’t see other possibilities or futures in which we’ve made a change. That “stuck” feeling is a big warning sign that you’re heading down a path of burnout, and need to make a change.

How to Pivot Your Career Path With Confidence + Clarity

You’re eager for the next level. You know you resonate with everything you just read, but you’re nervous to make a change. Consider this, though: aren’t you more nervous to stay put?

It’s much worse in the long run to stay where you are when you know, and have acknowledged, that you’re unhappy, frustrated, uninspired, unmotivated. This is not what you want for your life, or for your career, and you deserve to do work that leaves you feeling encouraged, valued, and excited by the future possibilities.

You’ve done the hard part and recognized that it’s time to take responsibility and adjust your path moving forward: now, all that’s left is to take action. The quickest way to pivot your career path with confidence and clarity is to educate yourself on the steps you need to take to get there, and to learn from others who have done it before you.

What you need is:

• Practice writing resumes that employers will actually look at

• A confident career narrative that positions you for higher-level roles

• Formulas that simplify applications, interviews, and salary talks

• A clear framework to follow along the way

All of this and more is inside the Career Breakthrough Course, where you’ll learn how to finally take action on your desire for growth, and make the career change you’ve been craving. See what’s inside here, and find the courage to take that next step with the help of an expert alongside you.