Five (More) Reasons That You Should Think About Changing Your Job

‘People don’t leave companies. They leave their bosses’- this may well be the most used (or abused) line I’ve come across in the past year or so; in the context of reasons as to why people leave their companies. While these reasons cannot be simplified, for they are complex, concurrent and circumstantial; there are many common things because of which people change their jobs. A ‘pain-in-the-a**’ boss is very well one of them, there can be more such as change of location, better opportunities, further education and so on.

Yet we feel, at times, that somehow we don’t like our job even when things appear seemingly satisfying. Reasons for such feelings may sound minor or frivolous when said out loud; still they have an impact on our attitude towards the job. I am listing five additional reasons one shouldn’t feel guilty about, while thinking of changing one’s job.

1.      1. You don’t feel challenged at work. Not at all.

If you like challenges, that is.

2.        2.  No work-life balance.

Hardwork is fine. Great even. But if you are finding yourself clocking in too many hours at work to the extent that you’re losing out on your personal and/or family time, then perhaps it’s time to review your staying in the company. ‘My colleagues also do it’ is not an argument to be made in favour of staying in the company.

3.      3. You are abysmally underpaid.

Agreed that there no such thing as ‘satisfied with the salary,’ but if the efforts and hours you put in in your work don’t, at all, reflect on your pay slip, it may be time to give the finger (without actually giving the finger).

4.      4. You are the smartest person in your department.

You probably aren’t. If you have been regarded as the most intelligent and smartest person around, then you need some reality check. It is possible that you are the proverbial big fish in a small pond.

5.      5. You are constantly getting shouted at for mistakes you didn’t commit.

This one’s slightly tricky. Receiving criticism for your team’s or subordinates’ mistakes is totally fair. This also happens a lot if you are working in service industry.The keyword is ‘constantly’ here. If you are getting shouted at for problems you didn’t create, have no control over and cannot fix, then you are stuck in a wrong job. Evacuate!

Finally, there is always some risk and apprehension involved in quitting and joining somewhere new. We live in a place where manpower is abundant and (almost) every employee is dispensable; so we tend to stick to the job we have landed. The idea is not to severe ties with employers and leave on a bad note. It’s about wanting things that you deserve and knowing that you have a choice to change your job.