Only 15 percent of employees are engaged in their work. This means that 85 percent aren’t, which is a lot when you think about it. This could be because they are in a career that isn’t for them and haven’t realized it yet. If you are having doubts about your career, here are some signs to look out for.
You Can’t Afford the Lifestyle You Want
One of the first signs that your career isn’t for you is that it doesn’t allow you to live how you want. Your profession is directly related to your lifestyle. If you have a job at night, your life will be very different than if you work during the day. Also, some careers are more stressful than others or require more dedication and time.
For example, let’s say you decide you want a more flexible lifestyle, such as having more free time and being able to move around. Working remotely would be an excellent option. However, if your current career doesn’t allow you to work this way, maybe it’s time to change paths.
Tech professions like web design or software development are better suited to remote work. You can even work as a freelancer and build your own business with a variety of clients and projects. These professions can be as flexible as you want them to be.
You Hate Getting Up in the Mornings
Another clear sign that your career isn’t for you is that you lack the motivation to get up in the mornings. Is not hard to figure that out. When you don’t like what you do you dread waking up every day to go to work and spend another miserable day at work. It shouldn’t be that way. On the contrary, you should be excited to go to work. Even if you aren’t in love with your career, you should like it enough that you want to go every day.
In the long term, a lack of motivation will cause you to start slacking off and not meeting your responsibilities. You will also tend to sleep longer and ignore the alarm clock. This will affect your professional reputation. Even if you decide later to change your career, leaving a job on a high note is always important for future opportunities. Don’t let it reach a low point; instead make the decision now.
You Are Not Learning Anything New
In today’s society where new technologies emerge every week, you have to constantly learn new things. If you haven’t learned anything new in the last year or so, this is a sign that you need to change careers. You aren’t using your strengths and you are probably bored out of your mind every day.
Being a lifetime learner will help you remain engaged at work. If you are always working on projects that challenge you and that require you to research and think of innovative solutions, you are more likely to love your job. If not, then maybe you already learned everything there is to know in your current career; if this is the case, you should follow a new path.
What to Do?
If you accept that your career isn’t for you, the next step is to figure out what to do. You can start by researching which careers could be an option. Spend some time reflecting on what your passions and values are. Those will serve you as a guide to find a career that gives you the lifestyle you want in the future.
After that, you can research how you will learn the skills you need. There are many education paths you can follow, including university, online degrees, or vocational courses. It depends on the career you choose. For example, you can become a tech professional without a degree by attending coding bootcamps.
In Summary
If you hate getting up in the morning because you don’t have the motivation to go to work, you may be in the wrong career. Other signs that you need to change are feeling like your job doesn’t allow you to live how you want, and not having learned anything new in the last few months.