Elizabeth Openshaw 
From sleepless nights to never-ending emails, here are 10 signs you need a new job
Have you ever thought about leaving your job? Do you fantasise about getting up from your desk, yelling, “I'm done!” and walking out without a thought of turning back or reconsidering? Although walking away from a role without a new one lined up might feel daunting or like admitting defeat, there are sometimes very legitimate reasons for doing so.
Why it's important to know when to leave a role
Most of us work because we need to earn a crust or two. But you want to make the most of your career at the same time. If you're feeling unhappy, under valued, or can't see any room for professional growth, the impact of this can affect all areas of your life. If it's a temporary dissatisfaction, it's worth riding the wave and seeing what comes out the other end, as it might be something you can work through. But if you've gone as far as you can, or your health is being impacted, it's definitely worth considering a change.
How do you know if a job isn't right for you? Are you unsure if it's time to quit?
Lean into our top 10 signs you need a new job.
When it's time to move on – the top 10 signs
1. You dread Monday mornings (more than usual)
Nobody particularly likes Monday mornings, especially the Boomtown Rats! It's a given that the Sunday evening stomach churning can turn into feeling bilious on Monday morning; there's the urge to stay in bed rather than face the commute and the start of a new week, with no prospect of fun ahead. If this dread starts to feel utterly unshakable, it might be a sign that your role has run its course.
The Office for National Statistics reports that full-time workers in the UK spend an average of 36.7 hours a week in the office or on site. If you're in a job that brings you nothing but misery for so many hours, it's a surefire sign that you need to move on.
2. Your day-to-day tasks feel boring and mundane
There are very few jobs in the world that are exhilarating and exciting all of the time. Perhaps stuntmen or sports stars feel this level of glee constantly, but for the rest of us, work is a rollercoaster ride of interesting highs and boring lows.
We've all come across the term “burnout,” but what about “boreout”? It can have equally damaging effects, such as depression, listlessness, and insomnia. So, if you're finding that you're experiencing way more lows than highs every day, that's a major red flag to be aware of. Your work should be challenging and engaging, not mundane and dull; otherwise you're just not going to engage with what you're meant to be achieving on a regular basis.
Perhaps requesting more challenging tasks or assignments would help, but if even these things can't be made available to you, then this could be one of the signs you need a new job. After all, being bored can greatly increase the chances of making mistakes, which reflects poorly on you, and won't help your employer either. So find the time to seek out a new role which will get those mental cogs whirring again.
3. You're not learning anything new
Are you learning new skills at your workplace? Is the management team investing in you and your career goals? It's human nature to want to progress and move forward in a role. If that's not happening, and there are no signs of it likely to happen in the near future, that's a serious problem for you, and another one of those signs you need a new job.
It might be worth looking elsewhere to see what other opportunities are available to you, and quitting your job.
4. Your responsibilities have grown but your salary hasn't
Is your “to-do” list longer than your arm? If your workload has grown and grown, that's not necessarily a bad thing. However, your paycheck should absolutely reflect that. If your manager has been delegating more and more, without you reaping any of the rewards, it's time to speak up. It's simple – your manager should be willing to pay you fairly for the work that you've done, and if that's not the case, it might be time to consider moving on.
5. You never feel as though you've slept well
When you're stressed at work, it's only logical that this will affect your sleep patterns. A study cited in HR review reveals that nearly a quarter of UK employees – 23% to be precise – have experienced some form of insomnia due to work.
That feeling of not being able to “switch off” is more dangerous than you might think. Everyone needs a balance between work and life. Not being able to find it could affect more than just your 40 winks; it can lead to yet more stress, impacting the perception you have of your position and making a difficult situation even worse. If you're having problems dozing off at night, or find yourself waking in the middle of the night and lying awake for ages, worrying, it's probably come to the point where finding a new job is the answer.
6. The strain of the role is hindering your mental and / or physical health
Of course, it's not just your sleep that could be hindered by stress at work. According to a 2020 survey, the most common type of stress experienced by people in the UK is work stress, with 79% of respondents saying that they frequently felt this type of stress.
If you're one of those, figuring out a way to solve the problem is crucial. Opening up to your boss about finding strategies to help you could be the answer. Or leaving your current role might be the key to reducing stress levels and balancing out your mental health levels.
Physical health can often be an indicator of mental health. So if you're feeling generally rundown, suffer from constant headaches, or catch colds all of the time, this can point towards the fact that your work is affecting your health to an unhealthy level. This can manifest itself in your appetite as well, from not consuming enough to eating too much. So, identify ways in which to help yourself, or take it as a sign that you need a new job.
7. The daily commute is your only social life
Commuting is no fun – that's for sure. But is it impacting your life? If talking to a stranger on the bus each morning is your only social life, you might want to rethink your priorities. The truth of the matter is that getting to and from your workplace can massively eat into your free time, leaving you with hardly any opportunity to unwind and relax. Perhaps it's time to start looking for a role that's a little closer to where you live or, even better, can be done remotely or from the comfort of your own home.
8. You get constant emails and messages (even when on holiday)
Holidays are supposed to be your downtime. They are your break from reality – a chance to chill out with friends and family, and take stock of things. How on earth can you do that if you're getting emails to your phone every five minutes? If your managers don't respect any boundaries, and continue to bombard you with questions when you're not at work, that's a real issue.
Don't stand for it. Politely ask them to refrain from this workplace sin. If nothing changes, then this could be another sign for you to get a new job.
9. There is a distinct lack of opportunities for promotion
If you're set up in a career that you love, then you understandably want to remain in that career and continue moving up the ladder. It's the natural progression of things, with seeking career advancement often cited as one of the top reasons why employees leave their jobs.
So it stands to reason that if there are zero promotional opportunities at your current place of work, you might feel stuck in a rut, with no wiggle room for tapping on that glass ceiling. Having those long-term goals will help you remain focused and continually moving forward. Without that, you could become disillusioned and start to lack motivation.
Stop right there.
This is a surefire sign you need a new job, as your place of work right now isn't going to align with your aspirations of bettering yourself.
10. The top talent are leaving in droves
Does the front door at your workplace need some TLC from the wear and tear of top talent leaving every five minutes? This could be a sign that either the company isn't looking after its best employees, or there are some financial challenges on the horizon. If there's a pattern of behaviour that leads to a higher than normal turnover of top staff, it might be time to join them by walking out that front door as well.
Bonus sign
Don't say we never give you anything for free!
The company ethics are questionable
You might baulk at being a whistleblower, but if you uncover something unethical, or even illegal, going on at work, it's time to up sticks and get out of there. This is especially true if you've been asked to do something of a questionable nature. Write down your concerns, and if your Line Manager doesn't see that there's a problem, it's another sign to find a new job.
What is the average time to find a new job?
It's all well and good to follow the signs you need to quit your job, and then act on them. But remember that you also have to think about one more important thing: getting a new job.
How long does it take to find a job? And what can you do to accelerate your job search?
The recruitment process can take anywhere from a few weeks to many months, so you need to optimise your search as best as possible. Hiring a professional CV writer who understands the tips and tricks of getting your CV through applicant tracking systems can help set you off on the right foot, drastically reducing the time it takes you to land an interview. Then, it's a case of customising your CV each time you apply for a role.
You can also leverage your online professional network to look for your next job. Build your contacts and make sure that your LinkedIn profile is set up to sell your skills and experience among potential employers.
Once you've secured an interview, and hopefully a new job, it's normally down to the HR department as to how soon after that you can start.
Know when getting a new job is your best choice
We often think of quitting a job as a negative thing, but it can actually be quite liberating. When a role has nothing left to offer you, the smart move is to walk away from it and find a position that does. Why not start looking today and see what other opportunities are out there? You never know – you might just find your dream job.
Is it time to quit your job and start afresh? Get your CV ready for your job search with a free CV critique.
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-----------------Have you ever thought about leaving your job? Do you fantasise about getting up from your desk, yelling 'I'm done!' and walking out in a blaze of glory? Although it might feel like admitting defeat, sometimes there are very legitimate reasons to walk away. Unsure if it's time to quit? Here are eight signs you need a new job.
1. You dread Monday mornings (more than usual)
Nobody likes Monday mornings ‒ that's a given. However, if your dread starts to feel utterly unshakable, it might be a sign that your role has run its course. Full-time workers in the UK spend an average of 37 hours per week in the office or on site. If you're in a job position that brings you nothing but misery for so many hours, it's a surefire sign that you need to move on.
2. Your day-to-day tasks feel mundane
There are few jobs in the world that are exhilarating and exciting all of the time. Perhaps stuntmen or sports stars feel this level of glee, but for the rest of us, work is a roller-coaster ride of interesting highs and boring lows. But if you find that you've got more lows than highs each and every day, that's a major red flag. Your work should be challenging and engaging, not mundane and dull.
3. You're not learning anything new
Are you learning new skills at your workplace? Is the management team investing in you and your career goals? It's human nature to want to progress and move forward in a role. If that's not happening and there are no signs of it happening in the near future, you've got a serious problem. It might be worth looking elsewhere to see what other opportunities are available to you and quitting your job.
4. Your role has grown but your paycheck hasn't
Is your 'to-do' list longer than your arm? If your workload has grown and grown, that's not necessarily a bad thing. However, your paycheck should absolutely reflect that. If your manager has been delegating more and more without you reaping any of the rewards, it's time to speak up. The managers should be willing to pay you fairly for the work that you've done. It's that simple.
5. You never feel as though you've slept well
When you're stressed out at work, it's only logical that it would affect your sleep. A massive 74.5 per cent of Brits say that workplace stress is the thing keeping them awake at night, according to a survey by HRnews. That feeling of not being able to 'switch off' is more dangerous than you might think. Everyone needs a balance between work and life, and not being able to find it could affect more than just your 40 winks.
6. The strain of the role hinders your mental health
Of course, it's not just your sleep that could be hindered by stress at work. In 2019 and 2020, around 828,000 people in the UK said that they were suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety, according to results from Health and Safety Executive. That's an enormous amount of people. If you're one of them, figuring out a way to solve the problem is crucial. Leaving your current role might be the answer.
7. The daily commute is your only social life
Commuting is no fun ‒ that's for sure. But is it impacting your life? If talking to a stranger on the bus each morning is your only social life, you might want to rethink your priorities. The truth of the matter is that getting to and from your workplace can eat into your free time, meaning that you have hardly any time to unwind and relax. Perhaps it's time to start looking for a role that is a little closer to home or, even better, can be done remotely.
8. You get constant emails (even when you're on holiday)
Holidays are supposed to be your downtime. They are your break from reality ‒ a chance to chill out with friends and family and take stock of things. How on earth can you do that when you're getting emails to your phone every five minutes? If your managers don't respect your boundaries and continue to bombard you with questions when you're not on the job, that's a real issue. Don't stand for it. Politely ask them to refrain from this workplace sin or look for other options for yourself.
Conclusion
We often think of quitting a job as a negative thing, but it can actually be quite liberating. When a role has nothing left to offer you, the smart move is to walk away from it and find a position that does. Why not start looking today and see what other opportunities are out there? You never know – you might just find your dream job.
Is it time to quit your job? Get your CV ready for your job search with a free CV critique.