It’s always great to be employed by a company where you enjoy the work you do and like the people you work with. It’s almost a dream scenario that you could be blessed with. I’ve seen and known many people who were content with their jobs and employers. But sometimes contentment isn’t all that great of a situation to be in, particularly if it’s getting in the way of your work-life balance and ambitions. After all, loving your job and the people you work with isn’t enough if you truly have desires to grow and challenge yourself. And if you’re working for a company that isn’t helping you fulfill your desires, then probably it’s a good time to leave.
While some situations are within your capacity to tackle and amend, there are still others that are beyond your control. Both play an important role in deciphering whether or not you’ll continue working for your current company. Either way, if you’re experiencing any of the signs I’ve listed below, then it’s most likely time to leave your job.
1. Your Personal Goals Aren’t Aligned With the Company’s
When it comes to personal goals, most employees, and surely you as well, have a few common desires. You want career growth, skill enhancements, challenging roles and a growing scope of work. You want to be taken seriously, respected and heard. You want to be trusted, feel like you’re taken care of and that your company is investing in you. But when these key needs aren’t being addressed by your employer, you feel alienated and probably overlooked as well. You start doubting your abilities and your potential. You may even up your game to attract attention and be considered as a potential candidate for growth, but sometimes that’s not enough. And that’s the point where you feel you’ve had enough and it’s time to leave.
2. The Company You Work For is Like a Rocky Boat
A company’s stability is a key indicator of your own career’s potential. Sure every company goes through turbulent times which it weathers and steers itself towards stability. That’s the sign of a strong company that’s resilient. But if your company’s regularly shuffling its management, changing its strategic direction or revising its corporate structure there’s a good chance this rocky boat isn’t headed towards calmer waters. While there’s an outside chance that such changes can present growth opportunities for you, it’s more likely that your company isn’t able to achieve the stability it needs to win your confidence. Just imagine working for a number of different bosses in a span of a few years. Can you imagine how frustrating it would be to prove your value over and over again every time you have a new boss leading you?
3. It’s Beyond a Bad Week
We all go through a rough patch every now and then. You can’t expect every day to be cheerful and smooth. Sure there’ll be a few bad weeks here and there. Your patience will be tested and you’ll be challenged beyond the norm. But these are normal situations that arise for all of us. Though, some of us aren’t as fortunate, because it’s not just a bad week. Some of us have extended stretches of bad weeks that last months. These can be extremely excruciating and sometimes even unbearable (if not unfair). You may love your job, but adding the pressures, tough boss and colleagues into the mix makes you wonder why you’re still working here.
4. Your Company’s Brand and Reputation is Questionable
A great part of your identity and reputation is the company you keep, be it the people you know personally or professionally. Most of you surely value the perception people have of you, the reputation you maintain and the respect you’ve earned. All that can be tarnished, through association, by the company you work for. Your employer’s brand value doesn’t just impact the business it wins or the talent it attracts, it impacts your image and reputation. Working for a company that’s ethical, contributes to the environment that it operates in, and that enjoys a renowned reputation can be quite favorable to you and your own prospects. Unfortunately, if your company isn’t well reputed in the industry you know it’s time to leave.
Considering that most of your walking hours is spent on the job it’s probably a good idea to sporadically do a sanity check on your career situation. While on the surface of it you may be happy and content with what your employer and job have to offer, there may be a silver-lining that you’re missing out. Ideally, you should be able to get to work happily in the morning, be confident that your career is headed forward and at the end of the day be happy with the person you see in the mirror.
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