Do you ever get the feeling something just isn’t quite right at your job? For some reason, you just aren’t completely fulfilled, happy, or as excited as you once were to go to work. Are you in a rut? Do you just need a vacation? Or is it something more? Here are nine signs the job is not the right fit for you.
It’s Going Nowhere
If you’ve been stuck in the same position for way too long, with no hope of moving up or gaining more responsibilities, you may be in the wrong job. You once had hopes and dreams for your future! Remember those? If you have any sort of career plan, and it’s crystal clear that this position is not aligning with that plan, it’s not the right fit.
Your Boss Bugs Bosses are hard-wired to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up—it’s basically part of their job description. All kidding aside, if your boss is absolutely unbearable, it’s definitely not the right job for you. Does he or she micromanage your every move? Does he or she belittle your skills and come off condescending? Maybe he or she has a knack for putting you down, or criticizing your work in the most tactless of ways. There are bad bosses, and then there are extraordinarily bad bosses. If you can’t handle it, it’s not right.
You’re Bored It’s not a myth that you can wake up and actually feel motivated to go to work. If you find that you’re bored, pretty much all the time, this job isn’t the one. You should feel somewhat enthusiastic when you get a new assignment, eager to do well and show what you’re made of. If you, instead, get an assignment and decide to go online, zone out, and then stare at the clock for a few hours first, this job isn’t the one that’s lighting that fire inside you.
Zero Recognition They seem to think there is a magical fairy doing all this work late at night, afterhours. Well, that magical fairy is you—and your colleagues, your boss, and the mega higher ups have failed to recognize all that you do. If you receive almost no credit for your hard work, or you haven’t gotten a raise or promotion in years, it’s definitely not the right workplace for you.
You’ve Used All Your Sick Time (and then some) We certainly all need a sick day from time to time…cough, cough. But if you find that you are calling in "sick" at least once a week, the job has got to go. Taking the steps to be in the office as little as possible may mean that you’re just not happy, and your heart just isn’t in it. This isn’t the right job for you. Time to look for something else, before your coworkers worry you might be dying.
Conflicting Culture Are you the outdoorsy or creative type stuck in an office with stark white walls and no natural light? Are you expected to stay at work well past five o’clock, even though your work is finished? Are you an introvert tapped out on birthday lunches and social events? Or perhaps you’re the outgoing type, surrounded by a bunch of straight-faced stiffs who never speak. There’s not necessarily a right or wrong way to be here, but your personal style does have to match up with the company culture to some degree.
No One Else is Happy Have you ever started a new job with a hopeful, positive attitude, only for it to be crushed midday when you realize literally no one else is happy there? This is a big red flag, and one to watch for even when you’re in the interview stages. If coworkers seem disgruntled, openly complain, and generally have a negative disposition, this is probably not going to work out well for you, either.
Vague Responsibilities Are they asking you to do random stuff around the office that has nothing to do with your job description? Are you spending time trying to find work to do? Are you not really clear on what your responsibilities are, or why they even hired you? Do they have no plan in place for your position? These are all red flags. You can be proactive and use your skills and experience to establish your role. However, if the management doesn’t know what they’re doing, this job is probably not going to last.
You Can’t Seem to Get it Right Do you feel like everything you do just doesn’t measure up? It’s not that you’re bad at your job, but perhaps the management has unrealistic expectations of you, or isn’t giving you clear direction. Or, do you tend to finish your work super quickly and then twiddle your thumbs looking for more to do? Perhaps you are over qualified for the job, or it just isn’t challenging enough for you. In any of these instances, it’s probably not a good fit.
The best thing you can do for your career, is make sure to get a good understanding of the job before you accept an offer—it’s good practice to interview the interviewer to find out as much as you can. If you start a job, and realize it’s not the right fit for you, it’s OK to start looking for something else. No job is perfect—but you should be relatively happy (most of the time).
-- Want to love Mondays? It’s possible when you love what you do. Paradigm is a San Diego staffing agency dedicated to finding the perfect job for candidates like you. We’re connected with some of the most innovative tech companies around, giving our employees that competitive edge needed in today’s job market. We hope to hear from you today, and let's make your career goals happen.