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How to Recognise When It Is Time to Change Careers

By Nagasunder in News Stories, posted December 23, 2022

Choosing a career is a difficult enough decision for any member of the workforce to make – and not all of us get that decision right the first time. There is an inherent volatility to choosing a career, and one which has become all the more apparent by rising resignation rates amongst the working population. More people are upskilling or leaving careers entirely in search of a new path, and inspiring others to follow suit. But how can you know if it is your time to consider a new career?

#1 – When You Know Your Role Inside-Out

The impulse to change careers is often attributed to emotion – and we will examine some of the more emotional hallmarks of needing to seek new opportunities shortly. However, sometimes a career change can be beneficial for purely professional reasons.

You might have found yourself at a dead end with regard to progression. Alternatively, you might have learnt all there is to know about your role and feel ready for a new challenge. This can be tested by engaging with the jobs market. As a tradesperson looking to move out of manual work, you could look at job descriptions for roles such as construction site manager; as an accountant, you might want to re-skill entirely to escape the familiarity of databases and spreadsheets.

#2 – Your Body Tells You

Sometimes, our bodies can know how we are feeling well before we do. As such, peculiar as it sounds, you might find yourself experiencing physical symptoms that could well be the harbinger of a loss of interest in your work – or something far worse.

On a simple level, you may start finding it harder than usual to motivate yourself out of bed in the morning. You might be more sluggish on your morning commute or during your morning routine, and you may even find yourself dragging your feet ahead of clocking in for your working day. If these feelings are new to you, these could be key indicators that your work is not engaging you as it once did.

Not only this, but these physical responses could also indicate something much more serious, relating to your mental health and stress levels at work. Burn-out is a very real phenomenon, that can occur through building stress and worsening grip on your own responsibilities. In worst-case scenarios, burn-out can result in a long stint of medical leave. Catching signs that things are getting too much for you early could be essential in protecting your health – with finding a more suitable role being the ideal solution.

#3 – The Passion is Lacking

Of course, sometimes you simply don’t need your body to tell you if something is wrong. One day, you might simply show up to work and feel utterly dispassionate about your itinerary or wider role. There doesn’t need to be a specific reason behind this; sometimes, the excitement of a new position or career path can give way to just muddling through.

Before you start job-hunting, though, you should ensure that your feelings are not a temporary aberration. A slump may come on after the conclusion of a large project or unit of work; the departure of a well-liked colleague could also briefly change your outlook. If the shift in attitude seems regular or permanent, this is as good as a sign as any that you might benefit from a new career path.

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