Leaving one job for another is never an easy thing to do. With bills to pay, looking for another job can feel like taking a huge risk. However, staying at a job that no longer satisfies you can be even more of a risk.

It can help to recognize when it’s time to move on through common signs. If you’re wondering if it’s time for you to look for a new job, here’s what you need to know.

Boredom and Distraction

Is your work becoming tedious? You may be so used to working in a certain way that boredom at work is like second nature. You may find that you’re easily distracted because your work is so boring that looking at anything else is more engaging for you.

When this happens, the days can feel particularly long and you could experience low mood from the lack of satisfaction from your role. When you experience persistent boredom, it’s time for a new challenge.

Lack of Motivation

Boredom and motivation can go hand-in-hand. If you’re finding it hard to muster the motivation to complete your tasks, you may end up with a ton of unfinished tasks. It could take you much longer than usual to get your work done.

This could result in your employer and colleagues becoming frustrated with you. At this point, you either need to take a break from your work or you need to consider looking for a new job.

Unfair Treatment

Do you feel you’ve been treated unfairly by your employer? This is an important sign to pay attention to. Perhaps your colleagues have received raises and bonuses where you haven’t. 

Perhaps you’ve been the victim of another form of discrimination at work. If so, you’re entitled to employment tribunals where your case will be evaluated by a panel. If you can prove you were unfairly treated, it will be easier for you to move on to a new job somewhere else.

No Opportunities

Perhaps you feel you are ready for a challenge and you’re looking for new opportunities. However, if your job doesn’t offer the chance to climb the career ladder, you may be feeling stuck.  If your employer isn’t willing to give you an opportunity to train further, it’s likely you’ll get bored after time.

A new job may present more opportunities to learn and grow through your role, not just now but in the future too. Having a job that you can grow with is a good way to always have job satisfaction.

Too Much Stress

All jobs have an element of stress but constant stress is different. If you’re constantly under stress, you may find that you’re mentally and physically unwell. Stress is a silent killer and it can affect people in many different ways.

You may be coming to the point where stress is affecting your work and your life outside of work. If this is the case, finding a new job could benefit you in many different ways. Lowering your stress levels will give you a better quality of life.

Poor Sleep Patterns

Have you found that your work is affecting how you sleep? Perhaps you’re finding it difficult to switch off at night or maybe you’re waking up in the middle of the night with to-do lists running through your mind. If your work is having an affect on your sleep, it can also affect your physical health.

Insufficient sleep will inevitably affect your standards of work and other people will quickly start to notice. As soon as your sleep is affected by your work you should look to take some time away from work or find a new job.

You See Others Leaving

If you start to notice a pattern of people leaving your workplace for other jobs, keep it at the forefront of your mind. There’s often a good reason for multiple people leaving a company, especially if those people are higher up the career ladder than you. It could be that your employer has treated them unfairly.

Most commonly it’s to do with employees noticing the company having financial difficulties. It can feel safer to find another job than to worry about whether you might lose your job and be left with nothing in the future.

When it comes to starting to look for new work, go with your gut instinct. If you have found this article helpful, take a look at the others.