When’s the right time to change your career?

In a recent study it shows that the average person will change jobs nine times during their career life, which is twice as many as our grandparent’s generation. With change now being much more widespread, it can be quite difficult to say when the right time is to move on and try something new. You will need to assess where you are now, what you have achieved and where you want to be in the near future.

IS IT TOO EARLY to leave?

There’s no fixed rule as to whether it’s early to leave your role or not, but there are a few things you should ask yourself to establish your circumstances. First, if you are in a new industry or new role, there will be a usual period of change whilst you build up your knowledge base. It’s quite likely that this period will be slow and challenging whilst you get up to speed, and it’s perfectly normal to feel a little lost at this point. Instead, it may be a temporary drawback, a specific project or even a case of the good old Monday blues.

If the same moods and emotions are fairly constant then you’ll need to make your line manager aware and come up with some honest suggestions of how this can be improved. Are there any growth programmes that could develop your skills or relaxed meetings to help build relations with your team.

ENERGY REDUCTION OR BOREDOM

The majority of us will have times in our life where we feel run down and perhaps not as motivated on certain days. But constant energy reduction and tiredness every day is often a sign of the need for a change. If you feel endlessly exhausted, try to locate the area of work that is most affecting you. It could be the job itself, or some of the day-to-day activities you are required to do. Or is it a result of more factors, such as co-workers, a demanding boss or a lengthy travel.

If it’s the environment of work, then this is an easier fix. Changing teams can bring relief from some of the factors that may be affecting you. You could change your transport, or even move closer to work if the travel seems to be the main cause. If it’s the role itself that is draining you, then that is a clear sign for the need to change positions. Think about the process in reverse, and list all of the things in work that energise and motivates you.

INDIFFERENCE

One of the main signs can be a lack of motivation and focus, which can lead to a lack of interest or passion in your own work. This lack of ‘ownership’ benefits nobody and can result in messy mistakes and lower levels of performance. This can be through a lack of interesting work, disheartening originality, or an absence of common purpose throughout the business.

If this is one of the issues that’s affecting you, then you need to consider what work does that fills you with pride and a sense of ownership. This will often be connected to your personal values and ambitions. This could be focused on community, regular challenges or working towards a target. You can then research roles and companies that bring into line with your personal brand.

If you do feel that moving on would be the best thing then bear in mind that it is much more advantageous to leave in a position of strength; meaning that you should have somewhere to go before handing your notice in. If you are looking for a change of career, our trained experts can help find you the perfect role.

We hope these tips will help you through the interview stage, find more of our blogs here