How to know if it's time to change jobs

Is it time for a career change? If things have become uncomfortable at work, or you find yourself thinking about life in a different career, it could be time to change jobs.

In this article, we help you look out for the signs that it could be time for a change and provide some useful career advice to help you on your way.

Read more: Explore our Career Advice articles

How to know if it's time to change jobs

If you’ve been in your job for a while now and you don’t feel as challenged or accomplished as you once did, it may be time to think about a change of pace, which typically comes from either a promotion (which brings on more responsibility and a change of the day-to-day tasks you would have previously undertaken), or from changing jobs.

Below, we have outlined a few indicators that might mean it’s time for a career change:

You feel stressed and tired more than usual – If you’re sleeping less than you used too, have lost the spring in your step, or are becoming more irritable and down, you could be feeling stressed, which could be an early warning indicator that you are unhappy in your current job.

Your views about the company have changed – We all start our new job feeling excited for the road ahead, proud of what the business stands for, and passionate to be part of the process that keeps the business ticking. Overtime that shine can start to dull and if you find yourself doubting the company, their ethics and what they stand for, it may be time to move on. A lack of shared values can really be a driving force to help you decide to make the change and do what’s right for you.

You watch the clock more than before – Your mindset has changed from feeling fresh and excited for your workload ahead, to feelings of boredom and dread. You also countdown the hours to break, lunch and home time.

You dread going into work – You wake up every morning with a feeling of dread at the thought of going into work, or the projects you’re involved with no longer excited you. You might also start feeling anxious or nervous. Behaviour-wise, you most likely live for the weekends and find the time flies by, with the dread creeping back in on Monday.

Read more: How to start looking for jobs

Where can you get career advice from?

While we can offer direct help with your career development through our training courses, we have also developed a Career Advice hub, where you can find out information about retraining, writing CVs and Cover Letters, get interview advice, and read Career Guides to see what job roles interest you and learn how to train for those roles. You may also find our blog posts a useful resource to explore.  

Considering a change of careers? Here’s some Career Advice articles to help you get started:

• How to write a CV
• How to write a cover letter
• What should be included in your first CV?
• How to prepare for an interview
• How to follow up after an interview

Read more: How to study for a new career while working

If you feel you could benefit from additional training to help you with your career goals and ambitions, call our dedicated team of Course Consultants on +44 (0)20 3198 7700 and they will be happy to talk you through our training options. Alternatively, fill out our contact form, and we will be in touch shortly.