Should I change jobs? 7 signs worth listening to

Everyone has days when they want to quit. A few bad days do not mean the job is wrong for you. Before you decide, try to separate a temporary rough patch from a signal that keeps coming back.

7 signs worth listening to

1. You have not learned anything new in a long time. Think about the last six months. What can you do now that you could not do before? If nothing comes to mind, the job may have stopped moving you forward.
2. Growth conversations go nowhere. You have asked your manager directly where you could go next and keep getting vague answers.
3. Pay has not kept up with the work. Your responsibilities have clearly grown, but your salary and title have not, and there is no plan for when they will.
4. Your body is telling you. Trouble sleeping before Mondays, getting sick more often, feeling drained before you even arrive, for weeks in a row.
5. Your values do not match. The organisation keeps asking you to do things that feel wrong. This rarely fixes itself.
6. The relationship with your manager is stuck. You have talked, you have adjusted, and nothing changes.
7. You are getting good at things you do not want to be good at. The job is pulling you somewhere you do not want to be in five years.

One sign that only just started may be a tiring phase. Several signs that have lasted a long time are information worth taking seriously.

Before you resign, try three things

• Have one serious conversation with your manager. Say clearly what you want. Some things can be fixed where you are.
• Write down what you want from the next job. If all you can write is "not here", you may move and meet the same problem.
• Look before you leave. If you can, having an offer in hand puts you in a better position and means you do not have to take the first thing that comes along.

Look further than the next job

A more useful question than "should I quit?" is "where do I want to be in ten years?" Then ask whether your current job is heading that way. Some stretches of life suit a move; others suit settling in and building deep skill.

The 10-year path tool helps you see which periods suit a change and which suit staying put. Use it as one input to your decision; the decision is still yours.

See your 10-year path for free, and turn on LINE job alerts from your account page.