stephanie_klein_smStephanie Klein, president and CEO of the Experience Factor, is a regular columnist for the Denver Business Journal. Her most recent column, reposted here, focuses on health care benefits.

There is not a better job than helping people find gratifying new careers, or delivering top talent to growing organizations. Recently, however, we observed someone we had placed in a job five years earlier and it was clear that somewhere along the way they had lost their passion and the capability to do their job effectively. It was quite amazing to see the difference in how they looked, behaved and how obvious it was that they had lost their perspective and, most importantly, their self-awareness about their current situation.

Key economic reports tell us that the hiring market for experienced talent continues to thrive; in fact, there is an increased demand for talent in many key industries. Unfortunately, most dissatisfied workers are so blinded by their current situation that they can no longer see the proverbial forest for the trees. Sadly, when we are not well aligned at work, our self confidence drops and our judgment becomes clouded. This creates a vicious cycle of continued problems, including an inability to truly identify what isn’t working and why it isn’t working anymore.

Below are five ways to tell if you’re in a job that no longer suits you.

You’ve lost the connection between what you do, and why you do it. Experts say that an employee’s level of engagement can be directly tied to the over-arching vision of their company. In the last several years, due to our changing economy, companies have had to redirect their focus, goals and initiatives many times. Perhaps those changes are no longer in alignment with your values. This can also be gauged by the intensity of the knot you have in your stomach every Sunday afternoon.

You’ve lost respect for senior leadership. Most people don’t quit their jobs; they quit their manager. This is especially acute when you no longer respect the leaders of the company. Companies have to change and innovate to survive. However, too much change without the proper resources or training to manage new initiatives, products or services can leave anyone burned out. Many organizations intensely focus on revenues and profits, and therefore less so on building a lasting culture of innovation, inclusion and care for employees.

No matter what you do, you don’t have enough energy to get through your day. We all have slumps in our career, some last longer than others. A long-term slump, however, that isn’t remedied by reasonable time-off, sleep and exercise usually means you are not mentally, physically or spiritually in alignment with what you’re doing at the office.

Your health has changed. Another area that tends to show the impact of an ill-fitting job is our health. Have you been repeatedly sick or run down? Have you gained or lost a lot of weight, or suffered more physical ailments than normal? Pay attention — these flags are waving for a reason.

Your dissatisfaction with work is negatively affecting all other areas of your life. Sometimes we are the last to know how unhappy we have become. Has your significant other or close friend at work mentioned that your temper is more acute? Do you find yourself getting repeatedly unhinged at small infractions at work and home? Have you felt less social and more inclined to stay away from friends and family? Taking pride in our work is hard-wired into our DNA and society. Most of us work hard and have financial obligations that encourage us to stay the course, stick it out and make it work. However, if you’re unable to do your best work or don’t feel like the work you do is of value to society or yourself, you can actually derail all you’ve done in the past to build up a successful reputation.

If any of the above signs resonate with you, take stock that you are not alone but you can take immediate steps to improve the situation. While it can be very difficult to admit it is time to leave a job, however, proactively managing your career can make the difference between leaving a job with excellent references and being fired. Find someone you know and trust well within the company and ask them the tough questions. Listen! Don’t get defensive. Though you might try and hide it, typically most of your co-workers already know you’re unhappy and not in the right job.

Take a day off and work independently or with someone to identify what you like about your job and identify what is no longer a match. Be honest with yourself about your contribution to the current situation, and then begin to make a plan to make changes. Finding a mentor or job-search adviser can help you navigate this process faster. We spend so much of our time at work, that life becomes much better when we are doing work that frequently uses our unique gifts and talents. Take it from recruiters; we know that a good job equals a good life.

Stephanie Klein, president and CEO of Experience Factor, a Denver recruiting firm, and chair of the Denver Workforce Investment Board, can be reached at 303-300-6976 or stephanie@www.experiencefactor.com.

 

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