New Year, New Career?

You’re not the only one thinking of a change

You may be among those who are planning to change careers (or jobs) in the New Year. You have many valid reasons, and yes, you have waited this long to decide on a career shift.

If this happens, you will soon need to adapt to your job. However, if you are acting strangely or feeling sick and tired of going to work, then something else must be going wrong.

When deciding whether to stay at or to leave your present job, you must know the signs and quickly act on them. A decision must be arrived at immediately, because it is really not worth it to stay if you don’t feel like it.

But then again, take it easy. This is a crucial step to take. There are so many who are jobless, and without a clear-cut plan, you may fall into this category. You cannot just say you are retracting your resignation after you find yourself having difficulty looking for a new job. This is quite embarrassing!

Check your feelings against the list below so that you can decide whether to stay in or move from our present job:

You loathe your boss, co-workers, and even your clients.
You hate Mondays.
You are always counting the hours, from the minute you enter the office until the minute you can leave.
You are frequently receiving memos for non-submission or late submission of reports.
You always phone in sick.
You find yourself using the company computer to update your Facebook or Friendster account.
You literally drag your feet to go to work in the morning.
You don’t like your salary because it could not even pay for the interest on your loans.
You have been the object of office gossip.
Your work quality is sloppy, or else substandard.
You feel sleepy and bored the whole day.
You find yourself daydreaming most of the time.
You always come in late.
You are feeling paranoid, thinking that the boss and your co-workers are planning against you.
You find yourself always looking at want ads.
You are in a dead end position, and you see no prospect for career growth.
You finally realized that you want to pursue a different career.
A company is offering you a much higher salary.
You need a flexible schedule to fulfil your family obligations.
Your health is already being affected by your job.
You see your boss in your nightmares.
You publicly declare, “I hate my job!”

If you find yourself checking most of the boxes and you have been in this state for one year, then I suggest you prepare your walking papers in the soonest possible time. You should love the job you are in. If not, then you should seriously seek a new career.

Resign immediately before you can do serious damage to yourself or the company. Be fair to your company too since you are now incapable of doing your best. Besides, you still need a positive recommendation from your boss.

*Originally published by the Manila Bulletin. Written by Ruben Anlacan, Jr. (President, BusinessCoach, Inc.) All rights reserved. May not be reproduced or copied without express written permission of the copyright holders.

You might also like:

10 Best Christmas Gifts for Jobseekers »
A Job Seeker’s To-Do-List This Christmas Season »
Holiday Job Hunting »
’Tis the Season to Make Money… »