When you have been in your current role for a long time, you may notice your motivation is quickly falling. Perhaps there isn’t enough to challenge you, or you might feel like you are no longer moving in the direction you want to.

It’s natural for your goals, interests and motivations change over time, but how can you tell if you’re ready to change your job? Here’s a few first signs that the time to make your move is now.


Constantly feeling tired and stressed

Are bouts of irritability or low spirits becoming a regular occurrence, or are you getting less sleep than you used to? Have you lost the spring in your step or is the commute to work becoming a drag?

These could be the first symptoms of increased stress levels in your life – the early warning systems to alert you things aren’t quite right. Stress has been found to have a negative impact on your immune system and affect your mood, which can result in impaired performance, low mood and an increased susceptibility to colds and flu.

It’s worth taking a moment to reflect and understand the message when your body is telling you something is wrong.

It’s worth taking a moment to reflect and understand the message when your body is telling you something is wrong.

You no longer believe in the company the way you used to

When you first started your current role, you were proud to identify yourself with the organisation and the world seemed your oyster, with endless possibilities your role provided. However now you have noticed a change of atmosphere and are no longer as confident in the organisation as you once used to be.

Maybe your current company took a turn and actioned decisions which you are not keen on. Perhaps a restructure of management has not changed anything for the better. Maybe your own views have changed, and you no longer feel that the company’s values align with your own.

Lack of shared values can be very motivating to change your role. Does this sound like you? Then it might be the right time to start looking around and find a new organisation that can truly believe in.

You find yourself watching the clock

Remember when you first started and found yourself waking up early and excited about the possibilities another new day would bring? Or when you would voluntarily stay late and take on extra projects to stretch yourself and get extra work done? But now, you find yourself eagerly counting down the minutes until you can log off and head out, tempted to do the bare minimum, rather than look for opportunities to go that extra mile or help.

We all deserve a job where we can feel enthusiastic and a job that makes us eager to make a difference. Maybe your job does not challenge you anymore, or the company doesn’t have an adequate development path to help you grow. Whatever the reason may be, maybe it’s time to find something to re-ignite your passion again.

You’re good at what you do, but have no personal interest in it

Often people find themselves getting a job for their skills and things they’re very good at but don’t always particularly like doing. Maybe you’re skilled in projects but would prefer to be in marketing. Maybe you’re great at producing reports, but you’d prefer to be out meeting clients instead of sitting at a desk all day. Maybe you ended up working in one area of finance when you’ve always really preferred another.

Although it’s not always easy, it’s natural to want to align your personal interests and likes with your career path. The longer you leave it, the harder it can be to change that path, as you become more and more specialised in a field that simply just doesn’t feel like you.

As Steve Jobs once said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle.” Now is the time to take a leap of faith and make the most of new opportunities while you can to see what you can achieve if you give it a go.

You feel unappreciated and not seen

Do you feel that your suggestions and views go unacknowledged?  Have you been overlooked for a promotion or a project? Have your contributions been missed and are others getting credit for things you suggested months ago? Maybe team relationships aren’t as cordial or collaborative as they used to be, and you find yourself socialising less and less together.

A significant portion of your week is spent working in your team, so it’s important that you feel a valued and can enjoy a friendly, productive and encouraging atmosphere. If you have done all you can to improve the dynamic but things still aren’t quick right, then it may be time to move on to something new where you can do things that challenge you and you can feel you will make a real difference. Even if you have enjoyed the time at your current company and have created great rapport and relationships with your co-workers, it shouldn't stop you from wanting to branch out and try something new

You have outgrown your role

It can often be hard to accept that a role, however much you like the organisation and your colleagues, is simply no longer substantial enough for you. But staying in a role you have outgrown, out of a sense of loyalty or hesitation, could become a negative and demotivating experience in the longer term. 

Over time, you have developed skills and experience which mean you are now ready for new challenges. Sometimes your employer may just not have the resources or business case to be able to provide you with a development path you deserve and so a job switch can be the only way to provide a change and opportunity for growth that your career needs.

Don’t be afraid to start exploring your options if any of this sounds like you. After all, you owe it to yourself and your career.

Ready to change jobs? Register your CV now to be matched with your next opportunity.

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