21 Ways to Know It's Time to Leave Your Job

photo by:ribenawrath

Let's face it leaving your job is never easy. Not to mention, no one likes to be tagged a quitter. However, the pressure of responsibilities and relationships you've made within the company can cause you to hold on even when the signs have been there for a long time.

You don't have to be a physic to recognize the common denominators that it's time to move on. Here are a few signs that could mean it's your time.

1. You dread the thought of having to go to work.
2. You become physically sick as get closer to work.
3. Your attitude changes about your employer and your job responsibilities.
4. You're no longer challenged.
5. Your suggestions continue to fall on deaf ears.
6. You're not respected or celebrated.
7. You suffer with headaches and other stress related symptoms while at work.
8. You think your being punished by a higher power.
9. You are being verbally abused by your boss.
10. You no longer are having fun.
11. You are constantly agitated while at work.
12. You take out your job frustrations on family and friends.
13. You no longer care about the quality of your work or how much you produce.
14. You've outgrown your job.
15. Your boss is slowly taking away your responsibilities.
16. The company is having trouble
17. When you seek out confrontation
18. Your job is dominating every area of your life
19. You are only happy when your not at work.
20. Negativity is effecting every area of your life.
21. You've found a better offer.

In all honesty, most individuals have known for a long time that it's time to move on, but out of fear they hang on. Fear of failure, fear of the unknown seem to dominate miserable people with miserable jobs. If this is you, maybe it's time to move on.

If you do choose to leave, don't look back. Be grateful of the relationships and good times, but leave with no regrets.

Have you left a job after hanging on for an extended period of time? What were your fears or challenges? Leave a comment! Let's learn together.

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Technorati Tags: self-development, self-help

Comments

[Sujoy]

Oh how I wish I could say I don't face any of those. Unfortunately, I can't. I do know it's high time for me to move out, but given the IT recession that is on a rampage in India, I need to be very careful. David, the list has actually made the idea of "how much I don't like work" more concrete. Ugh!!! Need to sort out a few things I guess.

[dand]

#22: When you spend more time reading articles like this while at work than working.

[Hal]

I can relate to 3/4 of these, but my reason for staying is: I know it's my personality/attitude that causing the problems, not my fantastic job. I suffer from job A.D.D., where I easily lose interest in any job, no matter how perfect, after about 6 months. In my first few months I am always hailed as a "Golden Boy". My manager told me point blank I'm the best worker in the company. But "bright candles burn fastest", and inevitably I find myself completely unwilling to do the work in front of my within a year at the most. It's torment, because leaving now means financial hardship. But my integrity demands I don't sit in this cube, stumbling and leaching money from my employer. I've given up trying to change and have decided to shape my work life around my personality instead. Never having steady employment again is scary, but I'm going contract/consulting for the rest of my life.

[Tom Volkar / Deligthful Work]

I've been self-employed for 35 years so I have never felt anything like the list you posted. The self-employed not only get to call their own shots but they get to express themselves without concern of what others think of them.

This freedom of self-determination is truly what life was meant to be. I'd like to encourage your readers to go for it.

I agree most everyone knows when it's time to leave a job. But how many of you will admit that you'd much rather be free of employment forever?

[jackie]

well i would say almost every one of these things fit me. must be something with the place i work, but i feel like its too early for me to take the chance of moving on to a new job because im only 19 and have a family of my own. with less than two years experiance if the next job doesnt work out then what im already living payday to payday. i guess you could say its that hanging on due to fear of failure if it was not for the fear of letting down my son it would not be a problem.

[Jacob from JobMob]

Great post, I Stumbled it.

Unfortunately, too many people recognize these signs but are afraid of taking the next step. If you're one of them, start looking for another job *before* you quit this bad one. Employed job seekers have more appeal to recruiters.