Checklist: Is Your Current Job Salvageable?
Simply Hired Staff
Sometimes it’s hard to poke your head out of your day-to-day reality and glimpse the big picture that is your overall job satisfaction. Starting a job search can give your life a pretty wild shake-up. Sometimes it’s tempting to stay in a position that no longer suits you in an effort to avoid that chaos. But you may find that the discomfort of an ill-fitting job is actually harder to weather than the project of finding a new position.
When you are looking for a new job you get a sense of hope and excitement, and these are emotions that you likely don’t feel often if you are stuck in a job that no longer suits you. If you are on the fence about your job, use this tool to ask yourself: “Is my job salvageable?” If you answer “yes” for more than half of these, it may be time to find yourself a new gig.
__I dread going to work in the morning.
__There is no room for me to grow in my department or at my institution.
__I get an annual cost of living increase, but I haven’t gotten a real salary boost in a long time.
__I tolerate my boss. There is no mentoring dimension to our relationship. I don’t feel like I am personally or professionally growing by serving on his/her team.
__I can’t escape my workload. I feel like I get penalized by catch-up work if I take a day off, and there is no sign that additional staff will be hired.
__There is so much turnover that I routinely have to fill personnel gaps, or I am always training someone only to have him/her leave after a brief tenure.
__I feel like I get taken advantage of at work.
__The amount of workplace drama I have to weather makes my daily life harder and more uncomfortable than it needs to be.
__I don’t actually do the job I was hired to do. Over time my job has morphed into something different and my current role isn’t satisfying because I don’t get to do what I am good at.
__My work never gives me energy; it only takes energy from me.
If you’ve discovered that your current job isn’t salvageable, then it’s time to launch a search. This is a good thing. Sure, looking for a new job involves some legwork, but having a job that suits you and maximizes your talents will be energizing and renewing. You will be glad you did this.
Simply Hired has evolved to better support you in your search. This is a great way to get started. So shake off the funk of your current position, and find a new role that is worthy of your efforts. Having a job that truly suits you will dramatically improve your quality of life. You deserve that. Good luck and happy searching.
