Run for the hills! Signs you need a whole new career (not just a new job)

But how do I know if I need a new career?

We’re so glad you asked. At JBA we don’t just focus on getting people into work but getting people into work that they love. This means if you’re in the wrong field and wasting your true talents we want to get you out of it. We’re basically the ‘phone a friend’ option if the question was “what the hell am I doing with my life?”

The reality is, we’ll spend around a third of our adult life working. Yet when work starts to become overly stressful, uninspiring or boring it’s one of the last things we consider changing. We wait for a ‘sign’ or opportunity to make it happen rather than making the change ourselves This is your sign!

There is a concept in job hunting known as the ‘job investment trap’ — the fear of wasting the time that you’ve already invested in a certain career. Maybe you’re halfway through your degree and tell yourself to just keep going or you’ve only ever worked in restaurants so you stick to hospitality or you’ve been working in the same industry for 15 years.

No matter what your situation you still have plenty of time to make a change. If you resonate with any (or all) of the points below maybe it’s time to consider not just switching offices but switching to a different career entirely.

1. You complain about work all the time

If you’re that person who can’t respond to “how’s work?” without a sigh loud enough to be heard halfway across the country, you probably have a problem. We know that not every day at work is going to be rainbows and pockets full of sunshine but if you genuinely don’t have anything good to say when work comes up it’s a blatant red flag. Don’t be that person.

2. You no longer have long term career goals

When you love your work it’s easier to stay motivated. If you no longer have a vision for where your work is taking you or have any motivation to progress professionally then you’re simply not being stimulated enough. You want to feel a certain level of challenge in your role so that you keep improving your craft. Otherwise, your talents are just being wasted.

3. Changing jobs wouldn’t make you happier

Let’s consider something: same job, a different place would you still hate it? If you’re not satisfied at work yet the idea of changing companies doesn’t provide any relief then newsflash the job is the problem. Take a look at the things that actually make your work hard. If it’s the commute, the boss or the company culture then you can change all that. If it’s the industry demands or your day-to-day responsibilities then you’re in the wrong place. Run for the hills!

4. You don’t enjoy the work culture

Bitchy Susan in the corner? Mouldy milk in the fridge that no one cleans? No thanks. If the work culture sucks it probably means you’re around the wrong people. You should enjoy the space you work in and feel part of a unified team. You don’t have to be best friends with everyone you work with but if you find the environment toxic or uninspiring it’s probably not going to get better any time soon.

5. It affects your health, relationships or social life

Work should always be in balance with everything else in your life. At the end of the day, you have plenty of things more important than work such as your health, partner, kids and life balance. If your work is stopping you from doing the things you love or being with the people you love then it’s simply too much of a sacrifice. The right career will always allow you to be great at your work without missing out on anything important.

Next steps:

• Go through each point and give yourself a rating from 1–5 (1 being don’t relate at all, 5 being very relatable).
• If you score more than 15 points in total, it’s probably time for a change.
• You can find your next job at www.joybusinessacademy.com. We’ll even give you your first two courses free!