7 Final Signs You Should Change Careers, Before It’s Too Late

Soul-searching for the perfect job can be tough, and if you’re reading this article, it may be a sign you need to change careers.

Our careers are a huge part of our lives—they affect our happiness, our habits, relationships, and often, our mental health.

In fact, a global poll in 2017 found that only 15% of the world’s workplace is happy in their career. That means a whopping 85% of the current workforce globally could use a career change.

Before reading this article, you should first check out 15 Reasons Why You Hate Your Job. It could be that you don’t like your employer, not your career.

Let’s get to it.

Here are 7 reasons why it might be time for you to change careers:

1. Change careers when you wake up angry every morning

It’s normal to wake up feeling exhausted, totally stressed, and having no energy from the day before. This is especially true if you dislike your job.

However, when this is happening daily, to the point where even thinking about work makes you miserable, it could be a sign that you might benefit from changing careers.

The final threads of your patience are ending. And you no longer have the time to be dealing with this thing you have to do—your job.

You’ve likely already made the subconscious decision that you don’t belong at your job. It’s time to change careers.

Maybe you are tired of the same old, repetitious routine. And to top it off, your boss doesn’t like you. Or perhaps you are tired of hearing Joe cold-calling supplemental insurance all day, and Sue making those weird noises behind you.

These scenarios may all be true, but the truth is, they can happen at any job. And when it comes down to whether your career is right for you, these things are just superficial.

What you really need to reflect on is whether you wake up every day motivated to go to work. If you don’t, then it’s possible your career doesn’t fit your identity, and that you might be better off doing something else for work.

What’s the takeaway?

There are many reasons for changing jobs. But, it’s important to know that the biggest of them is knowing whether you’re in the wrong career or not.

If you wake up everyday, and you feel like your feet are moving forward, but your mind is frozen in place, it might be time to look into some career change ideas. A change in jobs can be uplifting, and doing it can open a whole new world you never expected.

2. Career change due to hatred of your job

You jump out of bed, exchange snarls with Garfield (because he’s staring you down wondering where his 8:00 a.m. Meow Mix is). It’s 8:01 a.m., Garfield. Calm down.

Meanwhile, you brew a cup of your best white tea to boost your mood, and find the hidden strength you never knew you had, to get to work.

It’s your typical, boring day. You slave away at work, the week finally ends, and they toss you a few crumbs—your paycheck. Er, more like owecheck. Because by the time you cash it and pay your bills same-day, you need paid again.

It’s just enough money to buy your Starbucks and a t-shirt at Marshalls. Meanwhile, you live in fear because it keeps you tied to this soul-sucking job you desperately want out of.

But, the frappe numbs your mind. You have no objective for changing careers.

That is, until you’re between the shirt and sweater isle and you remember how Sue shot that rubber chicken into your coffee, and Karen laughed about it. God, Karen.

Anger is consuming you, and you seriously need out of that wretched work environment.

What now? Well, if you related to any of this, then chances are, you’re probably looking to change careers. And it doesn’t matter what age you are. You can change careers at 40, 30, 25; it doesn’t matter.

What’s important is your happiness. Don’t neglect it. This is essential if you want to be a leader who will change the world.

What’s the takeaway?

If you are fed up with your job and feel like you need to change careers, then you should probably do it. Being angry all the time isn’t a necessary part of life, and you shouldn’t accept it as normal.

3. Changing jobs because your line of work doesn’t entertain you anymore

Unless you are lucky enough to have found your dream job, which, likely has something to do with your childhood dreams, then chances are there will be times when you could care less about work.

But if you enjoy your job just a little, then you will always care just a little.

If you pride your work, then when Friday rolls around you won’t skip those important emails that need to be sent out before the weekend.

When you find yourself not caring to send those emails anymore, or to organize your life and give that little extra care to your customers, then it may be a sign you need a career change.

Unless you hate your job to the point of no return, you should always have a preserved reservoir of energy dedicated to maximize your focus for those small work tasks.

Allowing yourself to let that energy reservoir deplete is a sign you need to change jobs.

You can fight it and try a little harder to care, but if this is going on for months, even years, it might be best that you seek new career opportunities.

What’s the takeaway?

If your work has become boring, and you’ve stopped caring about the little details in what you do, it could be a hidden sign that you want to change careers.

4. Change in jobs because you are ashamed

A big part of our identity is pride. We become prideful of our duties to society, our relationships, and the wisdom we gain in our lifetime.

I flipped through six careers before the age of 30—web development, barbering, technical & network support, the printing industry, building and selling eCommerce businesses, and now, writing and blogging.

It’s not something I’m proud of. As far as employers are concerned, paging through too many jobs within such a short period of time is looked down upon. It leads to you being misunderstood, and it makes it difficult to write a resume for changing careers.

Frequent career changes show workplace and goal inconsistency.

Employers don’t want to put resources into hiring and training someone just for them to leave in a year or so. Plus, banks don’t want to give loans to inconsistent people.

Banks want people who follow the traditional way, and secure the same line of work for the entirety of their lives. Their reasoning is valid, but I find the nature of it to be bogus.

Success comes from learning new skills, and the journey, not the destination.

Don’t ever be afraid to tell people what you do for work. People will like you for who you are. They don’t know your journey, your destination, or the struggles you’ve endured.

Something that has helped me get by through jobs I hated was by saying this daily:

“What I’m doing now is temporary. This is only a phase to the next part of my life.”

Say this when you are feeling down, and remember to never be ashamed of the path you are taking, long as you are making plans to grow and seeking happiness as you define it.

What’s the takeaway?

If you are seeking advice for changing careers because you are embarrassed what you do, remember this: what matters most in life is your happiness, your good deeds to society, and the relationships you build with your community. Don’t worry about not being accepted by those who have not walked in your shoes.

5. Change careers because you hit a salary plateau

“I hate my job, but it pays well.”

Great income seems to be one of the biggest factors that play into why some people stay at jobs they hate. But, let’s change the tone a bit. Let’s say you love what you do for a living.

Okay, maybe not LOVE. But you are really passionate about what you do, and your job is tolerable enough for the pay you’re getting.

However, eventually you reach a point where you want to make more money. Because well, who doesn’t? Money equals buying things. And buying things means we forget about the other parts of our lives that are dissatisfying.

Your first instinct to make more money is to seek it at your job.

So, you try to negotiate a salary with your employer.

It’s too bad though, because you’ve just learned that you are stuck in your paygrade for the next ten years, being that you only get $0.25/hour raises every six months. After ten years, you’d be making $5 more.

If you’re lucky, corporate might squeeze in an extra $0.05/hour in April—but only if you’re lucky. Two dollars per week is hard to come by. They’ve got to sell an extra pack of bacon to get you those funds.

Here’s the thing: even if you change employers and continue in the same career, it’s possible they will likely pay you the same rate.

This is due simply, to herd mentality—employers basing your pay off a series of Google searches.

Basically, unless you own a company, then you are stuck at the same paygrade as most others in your career field—salaries dictated by the corporate world.

Let me show you an example.

I’m a barber (true story), and I wrote a detailed Quora article about what it’s like to be a barber and their profitability. It ended up ranking me as a top writer in the industry. It’s kind of ironic, because, I’m now a full-time writer, and don’t actively barber anymore.

So, a barber might make $100k/year if they are super successful, but most make around $40k/year. Why? Because people are only willing to pay a certain price for a haircut. Why is this? Because of the Law of Averages.

That is, haircut prices are influenced geographically. And you can only do so many haircuts in one day. Therefor, you will make relatively the same paygrade as other barbers in your area.

So, with this example, if your dream is to break from the corporate system and become rich, you either need to start a chain of barbershops, or change careers.

Pretty simple logic, right?

What’s the takeaway?

If you’re trying to figure out how to change careers based on salary, then research how much others in your field are making. If you’re underpaid, consider going to another employer.

However, it’s possible you may be stuck in a particular income bracket simply because of the career you’re in. If that’s the case, and if your goal is to make more money, you may have to change careers.

And remember: age is just a number. It’s ok to change careers at 30, or even change careers at 50. I had a friend who used to come to the barbershop, and he’d always tell me, “Aaron, I’m a police officer and want to change careers.” After few conversations, guess what he did? He became a barber!

Don’t ever fear change. Change is good for you.

6. How to change careers when new challenges Await You

Mastering jobs to the point of boredom happens to the best of us. Although, this doesn’t really happen to people whose hobbies are mixed into their career.

It does, however, apply to people whose personal interests are separate from their jobs. And it also applies to those who tend to over exceed the expectations of their work roles.

People of this caliber work hard to perfect their methods. And they do it not to please their employer, but because their personalities are designed this way. These people give their all to everything they do.

Their yearn for challenge is inevitable.

There’s nothing wrong with changing careers because you have outgrown what you are doing. And there is nothing wrong with changing careers later in life.

Some people master their jobs and stay with the company for their entire lives. So, thinking about changing careers is not on their to-do list. That certainly is success, as they define it. However, others can’t imagine being in the same role forever.

Do what makes you happy. And do your research—read; lots of reading.

I love this quote from Jimi Hendrix:

“I’m the one that’s got to die when it’s time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.”

There is no right or wrong way to live. Just live your life, and always seek opportunities of growth and to become a greater contributor to our world.

What’s the takeaway?

If you’re thinking of changing careers because you need a bigger challenge from life, just do it. You only live once, and life is full of opportunities.

But before making any big decisions, make sure you are in the right mindset. This includes getting acclimated to a routine of 8 hours of sleep per night, and doing your research.

7. Change careers because you feel a different calling In life

Some people get really good at their jobs. They shine bright like a diamond, get patted on the back often, all while continuing to be their true self, never too cocky, and live and laugh often.

But sometimes, the laughing isn’t always real. The thing is, sometimes, deep down, even though we are pleased with our performance, it’s never quite enough.

No pat on the back will suffice. The reason is that it’s not a pat on the back we’re looking for, it’s challenge.

We don’t want to lay another stone road, we want to engineer stone buildings.

If this is your case, it might be smart for you to reflect on your truest passion in life.

My advice is to go at your own pace, and focus on the narrow ahead. Lift your head to the unknown, take on a new challenge, and consider the possibility that your life could improve by changing careers.

What have you got to lose? Your career?

What’s the takeaway?

There are many reasons to change careers. Not being passionate about what you do is by far the most moving cause. Do what your heart tells you.

I wanted to change careers from IT, and I ended up becoming a printer, then an insurance salesman, and after that, a barber. Next up, I became a digital marketer, a web developer and SEO expert, then wrote a science-fiction fantasy novel.

Do I regret any of it? Absolutely not.

The more knowledge you have, the better equipt you are to finally falling into the career that’s right for you. For me, it’s being a writer. What is your dream career?

Conclusion

Have you been wanting to change careers? Do you fit the criteria for someone who needs to move onward to bigger and brighter things? Maybe stumbling upon this article is a sign that you need to.

Just remember this rule of thumb: never let your emotions control you. Don’t spontaneously quit your job before you have another one lined up. Do it when the time is right, and when you have a solid plan. Always be level-headed before you make a big decision like this.

That’s it, my friends. Best of luck to you.

Here’s a quick recap of 7 Signs it’s Time For You to change Careers:

1. You wake up every morning angry.
2. The hatred of your job is consuming you.
3. Your line of work doesn’t entertain you anymore.
4. You are ashamed telling people what you do for a living.
5. You’ve hit a salary plateau.
6. New challenges await you.
7. You feel a different calling in life.

That’s all folks! Thanks for reading.

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