It’s perfectly normal to think about wanting to change jobs, whether it’s to follow your dreams or for more pragmatic reasons like better pay and benefits. In fact, the average person tends to change their job every 2.73 years, and in Singapore, there’s a decently-sized increase in the number of professionals considering a new job this year from 2023. In short, you aren’t the first person to entertain the idea of seeking greener pastures, and you certainly won’t be the last.
Still, it isn’t always a clear decision to make. While that choice could be as clear as day to some, it's more likely that you'll find yourself playing tug-of-war with yourself in your head, on the fence on whether to stay or to go. So while this won’t make the decision for you, here are a few things you can consider before you settle on your answer.
Potential signs
You feel like you've hit a wall in your professional development
The unfortunate truth is that it’s entirely possible for people to outgrow their job role, especially early on in their careers. This could mean running out of opportunities for career advancement, or that you’ve run out of things to learn in your current job. Either way, you’re left feeling stagnated and unmotivated, which if left to fester, will only lead to you hurting your career progression in the long run.
No job can last forever, and if you feel like if you’ve done all you can in this role and are itching for something new, it could be time to move on.
You've fallen out of sync with the company
People can change over time, and you’re no exception. You might’ve resonated with your company when you first started out, but gradually over time, you might’ve stopped feeling as strongly about it, if at all. For example, the company has decided to rebrand itself to something completely different, or you don’t really vibe well with the way the new management’s been handling things.
It might sound like a shallow reason, but the reality is that factors like company culture are important to not just job-seekers, but employees too. So if you’re feeling disconnected with your company’s current stance, it may be a good idea to find a new one that better fits you.
Your job is hurting your well-being
We all have rough days at work from time to time, but your work should never come at the expense of your health. So if you’re always coming home from work completely exhausted or stressed out of your mind is a common occurrence, that’s a pretty big sign that things aren’t going as swimmingly as you’d like.
It’s not just about the physical symptoms, either. Being permanently stressed and high-strung isn’t going to do your mental or emotional state any favours either, which can bleed into your personal life and hurt it in turn. So if your friends and loved ones have been commenting on your poor moods or the number of times you've ranted about your job, you should probably take that into consideration.
You're thinking of doing something else
It’s fun to think about the what-ifs and the alternative timelines that could’ve happened if you choose to pursue A instead of B. But if you’re spending more time flicking through listings on LinkedIn during your lunch break, bookmarking and skimming through job change articles (like this one), or feel reluctant to share more about your job to relatives, your desire for a new job (or even career) could be stronger than you initially thought.
Don’t feel pressured to come up with an answer right away; the decision to change your job (or even your career in some cases) is still a heavy one, and shouldn’t be taken lightly. In fact, it’s possible that even after weighing all your options, you could choose to stick around and try to see if there’s anything else you can do to remedy your situation.
But once you’re certain about your decision to switch gears, the next step will be to prepare yourself, whether that means conducting more research on the current job market, reacquaint yourself with interviews or refreshing your resume and LinkedIn account.
It won’t be easy, but it’ll be worth it. Best of luck to you!
