Signs that might suggest you need a change, and ways you can tackle them before rushing into a decision

Whether you’ve been in the same role for a decade or recently switched jobs, experiencing pressure and exhaustion is something you might experience. Modern day burnout can surface regardless of the time you spend in a position, and can quickly make your life quite miserable if you don’t tackle it correctly.

The first thing you need to understand is that it is a very natural response to an unnatural situation. After being in the recruitment business for almost a decade, we came across several people that were in this state. This article will go over what you can do if things start going downhill, and what to do when you’re at the very end of your rope.

There are several things that can make you start to look around

According to our experience, the consideration of change could be task-, or employer-oriented, and in many cases the combination of the two. Task-oriented reasons include outgrowing your tasks and not finding them challenging anymore. Many positions require you to do monotonous practices, that can either be too easy or few for you that you lose your motivation. Although this phenomenon is quite natural, it can quickly become uncomfortable and boring. If you can’t challenge yourself during your work and develop upon your abilities, and you already happen to be familiar with all the possible ways of doing your tasks (what will happen when you do things this way or that way), they don’t give you the feeling of novelty anymore. Why would you be enthusiastic about something if they don’t attract you?

How to solve task-oriented problems?

However discouraging that sounds, if you feel like asking for new fields of responsibilities or looking for a new job is too far-fetched at the time, there are still things you can do to find new challenges again. We have already written about managing workplace stress on our blog, but here’s a short list of the things you can try:

1. 1. Set up little challenges for yourself and make the monotonous more exciting
2. 2. Plan your days ahead, write down your daily schedule
3. 3. Prioritize your tasks, or try to delegate them
4. 4. Try to avoid multitasking and focus your attention on your priorities
5. 5. Use project management tools and know when to take a break.

In opposite cases, too much challenge can also cause problems. Too difficult and complicated tasks are also red-flags, because they will make you more and more frustrated over time. They might stop you from achieving any success, and usually just  leave you with the constant feeling of being unqualified. The real struggle comes when and if it persists for a long time: you may start to believe it, and by natural instinct of a self-conscious human being, you will not question if the tasks fit you, but question yourself. If this happens to you, the following points might help you gain a new perspective:

1. 1. We want you to know that even if you thought a position fits you well, it does not necessarily mean you should find everything easy.
2. 2. It’s okay to ask for help. You’re probably surrounded by people at your workplace, there are usually some you can ask for advice.
3. 3. It gets easier. The more experience you have, the less challenging you will find the tasks that burden you right now.
4. 4. If you really believe that there’s no way on Earth you will be able to succeed in the role, it’s not a statement of your incompetence. It’s just a signal that you need something else.

All in all, you should consider the overall quantity and quality of your tasks.

How to solve employer-oriented problems?

If none of the above resonates with you, but you still feel like something’s not okay, you might want to inspect your company.Employer oriented reasons are just as important. Do you feel they appreciate your work? Do you feel they care about your opinion, well-being, or career? Do you get everything you need for your job?  Can you identify with the organizational culture? Do they pay you well? Do you get regular, supportive feedback? If your answer is no to any of these questions we advise you to consider a change.  However, everything depends on your priorities. If you don’t want to climb to the top of the career ladder, but you wish to be part of a cohesive team, probably you don’t care a lot about career discussions but much more about team building events. There will always be some opportunities to take that get you closer to your goals, the key is having a clear picture of ambitions and things you want to achieve.

And even after all this consideration, you might still feel like your problem is more complex

The combination of two types could be when your tasks are more than challenging and you feel drowned in them, but you love the company and you know they’re making efforts to help or honor you. Or the complete opposite, situations may occur when you have just the right tasks, you love your job, but your employer doesn’t treat you well and you go to work with stomach cramps every morning. Questioning your salary is the most common indicator of this stage. To decide if the problem really is serious, we recommend the following practice:

1. 1. Check in with yourself first, whether you do your best or not.
2. 2. If you do and you know you can earn more at another company, it’s an employer issue.
3. 3. If you could bear more wage but that’s the maximum you can get out of your position, discuss with your employer if you can get a slight promotion or develop your skills to get another position (task-orientation).

To simplify, at the end it all comes down to your priorities, values and plans. If your general condition at your work is not in accordance with them, you should take a step. It is important to make sure your discomfort is not a temporary problem. Ad-hoc stressful situations can occur anytime, so you should not give up at the first inconvenience.

To come to an ultimate decision, we recommend a discussion with your employer, to see if you could fix your problems. If you think it’s impossible for either them or you to change and you see yourself and your future better at another company, feel free to explore the market and what your potentials are. Keep in mind that impulsive decisions mean no good in this scenario, as a not-so dream job is still better than no job, but relying on your long-term emotions will probably point you to the right direction.

However you may decide, don’t forget that your mental and physical health should always come first, and nothing (especially not a job you don’t even like) is worth sacrificing either of them. If you made up your mind, our team is happy to be at your service in IT and business-related position changes.

This article was written based on the words of our talented business team member Boglárka Visi. We are thankful for her for sharing her insights, don’t hesitate to reach out to her on LinkedIn if you have any further questions.

This article was written based on the words and insights of our talented business team member Boglárka Visi. Don’t hesitate to reach out to her on LinkedIn if you have any further questions.