They say if you love what you do you’ll never work a day in your life.
That’s great if you have found your passion and can make a living at it. But what if you are stuck in a job that is slowly killing you inside?
You toss and turn at night. You wake up with a knot in your stomach as you get dressed for work. And you can’t help but wonder if you are in the wrong job.
Here are warning signs that maybe you should explore a new career:
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You Are Struggling when Others Seem to Have It Easy.
When you are in a job that is the perfect fit for your skills, you can lean on your strengths to get the job done. But if you are in a job that requires you to perform job duties that are challenging, that’s a sign maybe you are in the wrong career.For example, maybe you are a marketing genius with incredible creative flair, but you are stuck in a job doing detailed marketing analysis of marketing campaigns. You would be better suited in a job that allows you to work in your creative zone most of the time.
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You Get Constant Criticism.
It’s hard to be at a job where all you hear is negative feedback. After a while it breaks down your spirit. It makes it hard to want to give your best effort. If you can’t seem to make your boss happy no matter what you do, maybe you should seek another job. -
You Are Just Going Through the Motions.
Life is too short to spend 8 hours (or more) a day at a job that doesn’t provide fulfillment. As humans, we long to feel like we matter and are contributing.If your daily work duties leave you feeling checked out, perhaps it’s time to find something that lights up your spirit again.
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You Avoid Talking About Work at All Costs.
When you walk in the door at home and your spouse says, “Hey honey, how was work?”, if all you have to say is fine or you spend the next few hours talking about why your job sucks, maybe it’s time to change that.You are 100% responsible for your own life. If you truly loved what you did for a living you’d be glowing, sharing about the projects you are working on and other details of your day.
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It’s All About the Paycheck.
There is so much more to life than money. Just showing up for a paycheck gets old really quick. You look at the clock every 10 minutes to see if it’s time to go home yet. You yearn to be in a position that allows you to shine.Imagine how great it would feel to make a measurable difference with your ninja skills at the office. Work should provide a sense of accomplishment, excitement, and thrill to give it your personal best.
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You Are Faking It.
You feel like when you arrive you put on a persona to be who they want you to be to fill the role. You shut your mouth. You follow the rules of corporate politics. But deep inside you are aching to express your authentic self in your work. -
You Have a Bad Boss.
It’s hard to give your heart and soul to follow the direction of a supervisor that you can’t look up to. Maybe they lack in character or leadership skills. Or perhaps you don’t feel aligned with their values. It makes it hard to do your best work when you don’t respect the person giving the orders.That happened to me when I was working in a large corporation. It got so bad that my health was at risk, it was on my mind 24/7 and it was really tearing me down emotionally. I finally decided to go to the top HR executive and told him what was going on and that I wanted him to transfer me out or I would leave the company. He transferred me and eventually my old boss was terminated while I went on and continued to have a great career there.
What to Do If You Are Stuck in the Wrong Job
When you spend such a significant time of your life at work, it’s important to be at a job that’s right for you. You want a company and position that taps into your strengths, personality, and provides a good fit.
If you think you’re in the wrong job don’t just bury your feelings – take action on it. It’s hard to find the perfect job if you don’t know your wants, needs, and strengths.
The CORE MAP assessment is a powerful tool to help you discover your authentic self, what lights you up, and what the right career path is for you.
With CORE MAP you will discover the multiple aspects of self perception and personality development. It measures and evaluates natural tendencies, preferred functioning modes, personal effectiveness traits, strengths, weaknesses, reactionary styles, relating styles, tolerance levels and more. No other instrument provides a fuller, more complete personal profile.
Are you ready to find out who you truly are at your core? Click here to find out more about the CORE MAP assessment today.
Career Management, Personal Development