Job Burnout, Boredom & Beyond: 4 Signs You May Need a New Career Path by 30Seconds Mom
"Should I continue, or should I just go?" Changing jobs or choosing a new career path isn’t something we decide easily, and it’s a question that keeps many of us awake at night. It really is like standing at a crossroads without any sense of direction or certainty on which way to take, despite being equipped with the information on each destination.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), around 3.5 million workers changed their jobs up to April 2024. So while it’s not an easy decision, many people still make it anyway. You may be feeling "stuck" in your current role and want to transition into a related field, like moving from EMT to nursing, which is a good example of maintaining a passion (in this case, health care) while taking in new opportunities.
Before making any changes, the first thing is to know the signs of job burnout and when you may need to change jobs or career paths:
The Warning Signs of Job Burnout
1. Body Breakdown
Being drained of energy, experiencing chronic exhaustion and stress, having aches and creaks in places you have never had before or just simply wanting to flop when you arrive home from work – these are signs of an unhappy career.
You most likely won’t feel these signs immediately, as they creep on slowly. At first, you might wonder if it’s just part of getting older or that there’s some illness you’ve caught – but after multiple checkups with your doctor, everything appears fine, so as such, you may find that it might be connected to something else. Having such exhaustion and dissatisfaction is your body telling you there might be a need for change.
Around four in 10 workers (39 percent) say their career is very or extremely important to their overall identity, in a Pew Research Survey. Yet if you feel like this isn’t building yourself, but stagnating and undermining it instead, then something may be going wrong. After all, one’s identity changes with all seasons of life, and changing jobs can be a good way to redefine it.
2. No Opportunities for Advancement and Growth
Perhaps you’re feeling you have an untapped talent, yet your current workplace is constantly preventing you from unlocking it. Conversely, you may be constantly daydreaming about having a new career, relishing in the thought of leaving your current post, or even becoming jealous about the careers of those close to you and wondering how they managed to land such jobs.
These are all indicators that the space for growth has hit the roof in your career, and some changes are needed. Today, the transferability of skills across different roles and industries can occasionally be more important than mere experience, and it’s important to realize this. A new career may likely tap into underused talents while repurposing, or even growing, advancing and refining, your current skills.
3. Detachment and Dread
You feel increasingly disconnected from the goals you had when you entered the field. From apathy and complacency to feeling unchallenged and undervalued, when job duties start becoming a chore, it’s a red flag. One’s career should boost one’s passions, not undermine them.
According to a Gallup Poll, only 34 percent of U.S. workers felt engaged with their careers in 2023, so emotional detachment in the workplace is clearly a pervasive problem amongst the American workforce. Another way this can manifest is dreading going to work outright. Of course, we all have those days when we want to sleep in for five to 10 minutes or where it takes an extra boost to head off to work. But when this occurs every day and the dread of Monday creeps in every weekend (also known as the Sunday Scaries), your mind is probably telling you to explore something new.
4. Losing Interest In the Field All Together
Boredom isn’t only the beginning but also the end result. Of course, being bored doesn’t mean you need to quit your job – but if you’re never finding interest in your job, you may want to seek alternatives. If you’re telling yourself, "I don’t have any interest in this whole thing anymore," then it may be a sign to move on.
What To Do Next
There are some things you must do beforehand when making the decision. After all, being hasty in making a big decision can be counterproductive and may land you in a worse spot than before.
Self-Reflection
It’s important to identify the sources of your dissatisfaction with your current position. Ask yourself:
- What are my priorities?
- What do I want to get out of this new job that I’m not getting with my current one?
- What is causing me to want to find a new job in the first place?
You may actually find that you’re fine with your current position and choose to continue to work in it. Subsequently, you may realize you need to make some small changes to get back on the path you initially were on. Finally, you may realize that it’s time to move on, make the big change and take on the job search journey.
Finding the Career
Being selective with your search, maintaining a strong digital presence, customizing your application, participating in professional organizations and job fairs, learning a new skill and other job-searching strategies are effective ways to identify fulfilling opportunities. Many career changes aren’t instant. In fact, it can take months and even years just to get out of a job that’s not right for you.
Time is money, and being trapped in career analysis paralysis will only worsen your state of feeling "stuck." Don’t just figure it out – you’ll also need to act it out. Things like connecting with people should be just as important as finding your career. Regardless of whether you attend large networking events or meet people one-on-one, the power of being in front of people is that you can present yourself as a whole, something that a resume or CV cannot do.
It’s only by acting and taking the initiative rather than passively analyzing that things will start to change.
Upskilling and Reskilling
If you’re preparing to enter an industry that’s unfamiliar and completely new, choosing to take the extra step of upskilling (learning additional skills or enhancing existing abilities, with the goal of advancement) and reskilling (learning a new set of skills or training for a new role) may make this transition smoother.
Making the great leap into uncharted territory can be daunting – especially if you lack the expertise, knowledge or courage to do so. Upskilling and reskilling ensures you remain competitive and relevant in your field’s job market, while also future-proofing your career, bringing about personal growth and attracting a wider range of employers.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) declared that the 2020s will be a decade of upskilling, so it’s important not to ignore the importance of this stage.
Exit Strategy
Finally, it’s essential to get everything lined up and make a plan for your exit. As the saying goes, "don’t burn your bridges," so be sure to keep it professional as your reputation – regardless of what industry – is crucial to preserve. You can do this through means such as offering to assist in administrative tasks related to your exit, or even consider helping find or interview your replacement if the circumstances allow.
Most importantly, make sure you have a financial cushion and a plan B even if you’ve successfully landed your desired position. One should always prepare for the unexpected.
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