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In this week’s show we are talking about how to know when it is time to go and leave our current employer or maybe when it is time to change careers altogether. This can be so tricky at times to make the distinction. Sometimes. As two people who have left their jobs we have a little experience in this area too.

So, the thought has been rolling around in your head, maybe I need to leave this company or maybe I need a new career completely. Before we dive in, let’s look at some data. In 2016 the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the average number of years a person had been with their current employer was 4.2 years. The average tenure of workers 55-64 was 10 years or three times that of workers aged 25-34 at 2.8 years. And, workers in management, professional and related occupations had the highest average tenure at 5.1 years. Those in management 6.3 years. So people may be changing their jobs a lot more than we realize and employers for sure. These stats do not talk about career changes however.

The first step is recognizing the signs of your own “suffering” at work and if you may need to make an employer change.

Here are 5 posssible signs:

• You find yourself complaining to anyone who will listen about any and all aspects of your job.
•  You have told yourself more than 3 times “it’s not that bad”.
• You find yourself not challenged by the actual work itself but instead by the environment in which you do the work.
• You have Googled ‘how to leave my job’.
• You disagree with most all of the decisions made by your employer.

Let’s go to a very basic idea of thriving no matter what we are doing. That brings in this idea of “flow” which is the experience that we have when your skill level meets up with a challenge right in the sweet spot.  In this space, time stands still and we actually feel a certain benefit of getting maximum productivity without efforting unnecessarily and suffering. Additionally, we are learning. Our skill actually improves over time. Now these points have everything to do with not only leaving your employer but more so, changing careers.

Changing employers and changing careers are two very different things.

Let us know what you think and if you’ve made either of these changes, what was your experience?