The recent economic recession produced many negative consequences in the job market. Some of them have been obvious (a high unemployment rate, for example), but some of them have been less obvious.
One of the less obvious consequences involves people who are unhappy in their current position, but are afraid to leave because of the uncertainty that exists in the economy. In fact, their fear is such that they continually wage an internal argument, in which they eventually convince themselves that staying put is the logical and rational course of action.
Of course, everybody has bad days at work, and everybody wonders on occasion if the “grass is greener” somewhere else. However, what separates those who simply entertain the notion of a job change with those who are seriously considering one—and more importantly—should probably have already started looking for a new position?
Ask yourself if any of the following four statements pertain to you.
- You feel a lack of progress or forward motion. Do you feel like you work as hard as you possibly can, but you’re not making the kind of progress you want to make? Are you not evolving within your role or adding to your skill set?
- Your performance isn’t anything to write home about. If you feel a lack of progress, it might be tied to the fact that you aren’t passionate about what you’re doing. Forcing yourself to work hard and working hard because you love what you’re doing are two very different things.
- You don’t enjoy the thought of advancement where you are. It’s natural for you to want to advance within your chosen field. After all, it’s the path to greater financial rewards and career satisfaction. However, if the thought of climbing the ladder at your current employer makes you shiver, then you’ll have to find another ladder to climb.
- Thoughts of quitting become more and more frequent. The more you think about something, consciously or subconsciously, the more important it is to you. If you think about quitting on a weekly (or even daily) basis, then you value leaving more than you do staying where you are, which is almost certainly having an effect on your performance.
Do one of the above statements pertain to you? More than one? All four? If you believe it’s time to launch a job search, we’d be happy to help. The first step is sending your resume and your thoughts about what your next career step should be.
You can email your resume to stacy@thevetrecruiter.com.