When to Look for a New Job: 7 Clear Signs

Last Updated on July 16, 2024 by Career Reload Team

The current economic climate has made it difficult to discern when it’s time to look for a new job and whether the reward will be even worth the effort. While only you can decide whether a new job is worth it, here are some clear signs you should start looking:

7 signs it’s finally time to look for a new job

1. You’re in a toxic workplace

One of the clearest signs it’s time to look for a new opportunity is that you’re in a toxic workplace. Okay, but how do you know if you’re in a toxic work environment? Here are a few indicators:

• Your bad days outweigh the good days.
• Your personal boundaries are violated.
• You’re set up for failure.

If you’re unsure if your current workplace is actually toxic, try speaking with a mentor or someone else you trust to receive an outsider’s objective perspective. You might also consider speaking with a coach to support you in finding a company that more closely aligns with your values.

2. You don’t align with the company’s values

Speaking of which, another sign it may be time to look for a new role is that you aren’t in alignment with your company values. This can sometimes occur when you were misled during the interview process. It can also happen when company culture has deteriorated over time, sometimes following a change in leadership and/or business priorities.

If your values no longer align with your current workplace, ask yourself whether this is an organization you want to keep working at, or if it’s time to start searching for a better one with more like-minded people.

3. You can’t be yourself at work

An additional warning sign that it’s to time to begin looking for a new job is that you can’t be your authentic self at work, even when you try. Simply put, you deserve a job where you can bring your whole self to work if you want and choose to.

There are few things more damaging to your mental health than feeling like you must hide who you are in the workplace, so if this is the case, you might consider searching for a new gig.

4. Your job is impacting your health

While on the topic of mental health, if your workplace is negatively impacting mental health, it’s likely a forewarning that you need to get out. Take note if you find yourself:

• Constantly thinking about work in your off hours.
• Struggling to fall asleep because of your job.
• Taking frequent mental health days to cope with the stress of your career.

Also, reflect on how your work is impacting your physical health. A stressful work environment can lead to hair loss, headaches, and nausea.

5. You’re overworked or burnt out

Building upon the previous point, you also want to look out for signs that your job is causing you to experience fatigue, exhaustion, or burnout. Although it’s normal for work to have ebbs and flows, it shouldn’t result in you constantly feeling overworked.

Experiencing job burnout is often an indicator that it’s time to take your foot off the pedal and perhaps search for something new. Take it from a recovering workaholic; no job is worth destroying your mental or physical health.

6. You don’t get along with your boss or colleagues

When it comes to your current workplace and workload, your direct supervisor can be your best supporter or your biggest headache. The same goes for your colleagues. While you don’t need to be friends with those you work with, it can quickly feel overwhelming if you’re not getting along with your boss or colleagues. Ask yourself whether you want to spend eight hours per day (or more) around people you don’t enjoy being around.

7. You’re thinking about looking for a new job

Finally, if you find yourself regularly thinking of greener pastures, it’s a likely sign that it’s time to search for something different. Importantly, simply looking for a new job isn’t committing to leaving your current one. There’s no harm in seeing what’s out there. You never know what roles might catch your eye.

Conclusion: when to look for a new job

To summarize, here are some signs it might be time to look for a new job:

• You’re in a toxic workplace.
• You don’t align with your company’s values.
• You can’t be yourself at work.
• Your job is impacting your health.
• You’re overworked or burnt out.
• You don’t get along with your boss or colleagues.
• You’re constantly thinking about looking for a new job.

On a final note, this isn’t a definite list, as there are countless different signs that it’s time to get out, and only you will know when it’s really time, and you’re ready to look for a new job. Trust yourself. You’ve got this!

Dr. Kyle Elliott

Dr. Kyle Elliott is the founder and career coach behind CaffeinatedKyle.com. His expertise is in Silicon Valley and high-tech. As a result of working with Dr. Elliott, senior managers and executives have landed jobs at Meta, Amazon, Google, and nearly every other tech giant you can imagine.