Written by: Pin Cher, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
The generation Y & Z are challenging the status quo by quitting stable jobs to freelance or find a more exciting opportunity. Freelancing has become more attractive because it eliminates excessive meetings, water cooler banter and focuses specifically on the value they can add and looking for more purpose and meaning.
According to a new study from Upwork since the pandemic, more than two million Americans have started freelancing. In fact, it’s estimated that a majority of American workers will be freelancing by 2027. Despite the unpredictable income and lack of benefits, more workers are leaving their 9-5’s to go out on their own.
However, a lot of smart professionals who dream of quitting their current job struggle to know when it’s time to leave. Sometimes no matter how miserable they are, they often stay at their job far too long and the most often heard reasons are a high salary, good benefits or loyalty to their team and clients.
In spite of all the clear signs that it’s time to leave, it’s typically not until a crisis occurs that forces them to explore other alternatives.
Here are four signs it’s time to look for a new job or go out on your own.
You are in a toxic workplace
Staying in a toxic workplace is not only detrimental to your mental health but it wreaks havoc on every area of your life. When your work starts having a massive toll on your mental and psychological well-being, it’s really about time to say goodbye.
A Randstad survey revealed, nearly 40% of workers want to leave their job due to a toxic work environment. The same survey found, 46% of workers are considering leaving their job within the next year to go out on their own.
Every job brings a level of stress and certainly, everyone has a bad day at work now and then. However, if your job brings you more stress and anxiousness than fulfillment, it’s time to part ways.
You are not worth to lose your happiness, identity, or self-worth for your job.
Warning signs your workplace is toxic
Feeling excluded from meetings, projects, or a group of people
A culture that revolves around gossip
Your boss is a micromanager or gaslights you
No work-life balance
Constantly overworked and feeling burnt out
Dreading waking up and going to work in the morning
Lack of growth, mentorship, or learning opportunities
Favoritism
Your opinions, ideas, and feedback aren’t valued
Retaliation for speaking up or disagreeing
Harassment, discrimination, and mistreatment are overlooked
Many employees have the “suck it up” attitude because they’ve lost confidence in their abilities making them believe they won’t be able to get a better opportunity. While there are many toxic workplaces, there are equally as many, if not more, workplaces that value who you are and what you bring to the table.
Your Mental Health Is Impacted
If your mental and physical health is deteriorating due to being burnt out or mistreatment, it’s time to reconsider if this is the job for you. Probably the pay and benefits are what’s keeping you there, but you will eventually become resentful for sacrificing your personal life for your job. Research shows that your mental health influences every area of your life from personal relationships to self-confidence to sleeping habits and more. If you can’t see yourself doing what you do for a long time, moving forward, or being happy at your workplace then you should look for opportunities elsewhere.
You’ve Hit A Career Plateau And Are NOT Growing And Learning Anymore
Are you challenged or given opportunities to learn and grow personally or professionally in your current company or role. If the answer is NO, you won’t gain the experience you need to advance. Also, if you go up to your manager and they are ignoring your concerns, that’s a red flag that your employer isn’t really interested in your growth and learning. A question to ask yourself is whether or not your job fits your long-term career goals. If not, it’s about time to decide what you want and needs to feel fulfilled. Or else, you’ll end up stuck in a rut doing the same job until you eventually leave.
Don’t spend too much time in a position that doesn’t offer opportunities for growth. Committing your time and energy to a company that won’t support the progress of your career, or grow with you, will end up hindering the development of your career in the long run. If you're wondering whether you have stayed too long at your job, it might be time to take a look at moving on to a different role, company, or starting something on your own.
Your Creativity Is Stifled And You’re Procrastinating More And More
Creativity is the driving force behind successful products, services, and businesses around the world. However, if your creativity is stifled because of your micromanager, toxic workplace, a lack of diversity, unrealistic deadlines, misaligned values, and poor expectations, it’s also a sign to consider other opportunities that will nourish your creativity and soul. A lot of companies promote innovative thinking yet refuse to listen to employee feedback on how to change or improve processes.
When your job starts becoming monotonous or you feel unmotivated, uninspired, and disinterested, it’s time to look for something that challenges and gives you fulfillment. Think about your most common conversations with friends and family members. Are you
continuously complaining about co-workers, about your workplace, or about your job itself?
Life is too short to clock in and clock out and to feel constantly low and depressed at your work. If it's always a cause for complaint, that's a sign that your job doesn’t give you satisfaction, joy, and fulfillment.
Whether it’s a new job or starting your own business, making the decision to quit your job isn’t always easy and sometimes scary, because it forces you to leave your comfort zone. Trust what your gut is telling you. But no one should have that pit in your stomach feeling about work and negatively affecting your physical, emotional, and mental health. When you're in a work environment that's the right fit for you, you won’t really suffer from the Sunday Night Blues - that feeling of dread, anxiety, and sadness that comes at the thought of going back to work on Monday morning.
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Pin Cher, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Pin Cher is a personal development & career coach and comes from a diverse and international background. Her passion lies in working and coaching with corporate professionals and high performers to achieve even greater success. She helps them unlock their professional and personal potential and create an intentional, meaningful life that lights them up. In the past, Pin herself felt stuck and lost in her career direction. This painful experience has taught her valuable lessons and insights, and she now shares her experience & knowledge in helping others achieve their own success and unlocking their hidden genius. Pin's coaching is a powerful combination of head and heart, reflection and action and her goal is to help others find their North Star to lead a life with more meaning and purpose. She brings to her clients' experience and expertise gained from multiple global careers in different industries and working with top-tier global firms. Pin is a certified coach with the Jay Shetty Certification School and holds a B.S degree in International Management & Business Chinese and an MBA from the National University of Taiwan.
