There are many muddled career decisions and unanswered job questions that we often choose to ignore only because you have no idea on what your next line of action should be.
If you are unsure about your career satisfaction when in your 30s, it can have a negative impact on your mental health in your later years.
It is, therefore, imperative to the health as well as to the employee’s goal that they choose a career that fulfills their professional needs. Below are a few signs that can help you in knowing if you are in the right career or not.
The first tell-tale signs
One of the first signs that you are in the wrong career is the feeling of being overworked, underpaid and less appreciated. While long hours are the norm in many establishments, a fulfilling career will not let you feel drained out.
So if you return home on most days feeling that you have not accomplished anything, it means you are a misfit for the job at hand. Regardless of how long you have been in the profession, this is the time to make a change.
Glancing at the clock
When you are having fun, time literally flies. But if you constantly glance at the clock waiting for job time to tick over, it is a clear sign that you are not enjoying your job.
If you love the job you are in, then the minutes will just fly without you being even aware if there is daylight outside. Your work is so engrossing that you don’t consider checking your social media or even take a trip to the bathroom.
However, when you feel disengaged, you will easily get distracted from the job at hand which ultimately will have a drastic effect on the quality of your work.
Your body starts to protest
A sure-shot indication that you are in the wrong career is when your body begins to complain. If work brings about headaches, digestive problems or chest pains it means your job is out of alignment with your body’s natural strengths.
When your body protests, it tries to pass on the message to you, but most of us tend to ignore it as we consider it as normal or blame it on ageing or inadequate exercise.
You feel less qualified
If you are an undergraduate, there is no good of continuing in a job which consumes 40 hours in a week and still leaves you with a sense of accomplishment. If you have the inclination, but don’t know where to start, take advice.
A recent study has revealed that more than 50% of people are unhappy in their current jobs as they are undergraduates. If you are part of this dissatisfied majority then accredited online graduate degrees are available for you as well.
Taking help from a proven counsellor can help identify your work-related interests and match them with your preferred career options.
You complain about your job
If you find yourself complaining about your job with your family or friends every time you come back from work then it is time to sit down and rethink.
While getting irritated once in a while is common, the time to worry comes when you are moaning all the time to anyone you come across, every moment of the day when you meet up with colleagues or friends.
You are jealous of others
While a bit of friendly competition is great for motivation and improving professional performance, if you become yellow with envy every time you hear of a colleagues promotion or accomplishment, there are signs of some deep-rooted unhappiness in your current career.
A bit of jealousy occasionally on hearing about somebody’s achievement may seem normal, but whining and expressing strong emotions all the time about somebody else’s career gains doesn’t augur well for your current profession.
Is salary a significant factor
When you look for a job, the money you take home at the end of each month is important but it should not be the defining factor. In fact, some people will go even further and take a job with higher pay, even if they don’t like the work or the working conditions.
If you are looking for the right career, the salary amount should take a backseat as you are now working for not just money but for a purpose. You ask yourself not how much you will earn, but what you will learn. If this job allows you to pursue your passions and dreams, you know you are on the right path.
You dream about something else
When you are in the wrong career you always daydream about being a rockstar or a celebrity. All that matters is a job more glamorous than the present one.
If you love your job, you don’t aspire for anything else as you have what you want and you and your career are made for each other. So if you think about being something else, you are sitting on the wrong seat.
