There is no worse feeling than finding out you are in the wrong career after spending years with the same company. This can lead to a reluctance to switch careers to something more enjoyable due to the comfort you’ve developed within your current job. However, failing to switch careers when you are aware that it is a bad fit is a quick way to become more stressed and less content with your life.
Keeping an eye out for common signs that it is time for a career switch is the best way to lead a fulfilled work life. Not every second of work will be enjoyable, but heading to your job will feel far less like a chore if you actually enjoy what you do. To that end, here are some of the biggest signs indicating you may be in the wrong career.
Your Skills Don’t Match the Job
Whether you don’t have the required skills or your skills are underutilized, this is a sign that you have put yourself in the wrong career. The sheer number of people who end up in careers that simply don’t relate to their major shows just how available any job opportunity can be with skills alone.
To that end, finding a career that uses the full range of your skillset in a challenging, yet rewarding way should be one of the goals you consider when looking for a career. Never using any of your learned skills can make the work you perform feel meaningless. If you believe that you may have some computer skills, it could be worth pursuing a job in the tech world.
Review your own skills and see if you have any of the top computer skills recruiters look for on resumes. A key aspect of being truly satisfied with your career is knowing that you are performing work that means something. A lack of necessary skills or underutilized skills can lead anyone to become dissatisfied with their work.
A Different Career Fascinates You
Do you often find yourself curious about what other people at your company do and jealous of the work they perform? There’s nothing wrong with being fascinated by another career, but if you find yourself constantly wondering about other careers, then it is a pretty good indicator that you should consider a career change.
Sometimes it will take a long time to figure out the exact career you wish to switch to. There’s no point throwing caution to the wind and quitting your job without a solid plan. Try taking a free career quiz to really identify what it is that you want to do. When you actually get matched with potential careers, do research to discover what a day in the life of that career looks like.
The worst thing you can do is to leave a mismatched career for another mismatched career. As a suggestion, technology is dominating the workforce and changing everything about it. A myriad of job opportunities exist in various tech-related fields and, as evident by the average salary of a programmer, they pay tremendously well. Being passionately interested in your work and receiving a handsome paycheck are both reasons to consider pursuing that alternative career which has been capturing your interest.
You Can’t Get Excited About Work
There’s a major difference between being happy at work and just being comfortable. It is unreasonable for you to expect that every minute of your job will have you jittery with excitement, but if you find yourself constantly bored and wishing you were somewhere else, then it is time for a change.
More often than not, people become bored at work when they are not being challenged and their day-to-day tasks are monotonous. If you find yourself in this boat, you need to identify what field piques your interest and can keep you hooked, no matter the task.
Consider looking into some of the top trade schools which offer short-term, intensive courses for specific career paths. Finding an exciting path may be as simple as reading what skills are required for different careers and what exactly people in those occupations do.
Conclusion
One of the hardest things to do in life is to combine your job and your passion. Work takes up a large part of anyone’s life. You don’t have to be hooked every second of the day when you are working, but it is important that you actually genuinely enjoy what you do. It is all about self-reflection and thinking introspectively. Are you the person who is always complaining about their job after work? Stop letting yourself be dissatisfied and switch to a career that you can be proud of and have a profound interest in.