How to Know If Your Current Career Isn’t Right For You

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Choosing a career could be one of the most crucial decisions in our lives. That’s why we usually spend so much time deciding which is the right path for us. However, we’re all humans, and we can’t always make the right choice.

There are people who realized they were on the wrong path when they were in the middle of their careers. Yet, how can you tell you chose the wrong profession? We’re about to find out. Here’s a list of signs that warn you that your current career isn’t a good match.

You No Longer Feel the Passion You Used to

You may be convinced that feeling passionate is just something you feel at the beginning, when you have all these expectations of a successful career. But, eventually, it is likely that the monotony will destroy this passion. That’s what the majority of people think. However, it’s not entirely true.

People who are passionate about their careers continue to feel that boost of energy even after they get tired of work or even on bad days. This is because it’s not a matter of incentives or motivation—it’s about enjoying the things you do. If you ever feel overly negative about your career and you can’t point at anything that makes you happy about it, it is time for a change.

Nothing Motivates You

Usually, when we have a profession that we enjoy, we have this energy and expectation of success. It’s what keeps us going throughout the day. However, people often lose motivation due to external factors like having a grumpy boss or having a low salary.

These signs don’t indicate anything about your profession, so maybe the problem isn’t your career—it’s your current job. Therefore, you shouldn’t consider making a career change if these are the things that demotivate you. However, if even after changing your job you can’t find anything that motivates you about your profession, you may consider looking for a different path.

You Chose it For the Wrong Reasons

Young people are usually driven by external factors like others’ opinions or excitement. However, those things are not decisive aspects of choosing a career. Some people were forced by their parents to study something they didn’t even like, and others didn’t know what they wanted. When this happens, they often feel unhappy and lethargic.

Your work is a place where you usually spend 8-10 hours a day. Imagine going to work every day to do something you don’t even enjoy. If this happens to you, it would be better to explore different options and see what’s more suitable for you.

You’re Constantly Thinking About Doing Something Different

Someone who truly enjoys their profession is not going to spend time looking for other options. Instead, they’d be constantly learning more about their own career. This is a major symptom that all career changers have. Therefore, if you happen to be constantly looking for different careers or jobs related to something different than your profession, you may be on the wrong path.

However, you shouldn’t limit yourself. Follow your instincts. Try different things to know exactly what makes you happy.

Your Job Is Affecting Your Health

This is definitely a red flag for you to consider leaving your current career. Although it may sound daunting, it’s important to put your health first. If your profession is affecting your health at any level it is time to make some changes. Maybe, you can try finding solutions that protect you. However, if there’s nothing to do about it, don’t spend more time in those types of activities.

Your Current Position Has No Value In the Job Market

Tech disruption is taking over and most jobs will be influenced at some point by this situation. Even tech jobs like web development or digital marketers have been affected at some level by technology disruption. The use of no-code websites like Wix or WordPress is reducing the demand for web developers, but not entirely.

If your current profession has been affected by tech disruption and you believe it’s not valuable for today’s job market, you can reinvent yourself. Instead of pursuing a new bachelor’s degree, you can use your career background to create something great. Think about your transferable skills to add value to your resume. You can even take a coding bootcamp or a short-term course to reskill yourself.

Conclusion

Realizing your profession isn’t for you is tough and it may be challenging to create a new path. However, you need to think about the new opportunities that are yet to come and how you can leverage them to create a successful career. Introspection and self-reflection are key when it comes to exploring new career options.