January 17, 2017 • Beth Williams

7 Signs You Have Outgrown Your Job

To put it bluntly, most of today’s jobs were not designed to advance a worker through an entire career. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, people change jobs nearly 12 times in their life as they outgrow one role and look for advancement in another. Occasionally, IT professionals remain in jobs long beyond their role’s expiration date, stunting their career as they slip into a routine. With the new year upon us, it may be time to evaluate your current role to ensure you aren’t spinning the wheels of your career. Here are 7 signs you have outgrown your job.

There’s No Room for Advancement

Have you hit a plateau in both pay and responsibilities? If so, you may need to put your overall long-term career into perspective. When your skill set is not being utilized and there is no potential for future promotion, you have likely taken your career as far as it can go with your current employer. That is a strong reason to look for a new and more advanced role elsewhere.

You’ve Stopped Learning

Is your role no longer challenging? Are you able to work while half asleep? If you’re not exposed to new tasks at work, then you are surely not adding to your skill set as fast as your peers at other organizations. Adversity sparks growth, and it is through that pressure that we acquire new skills. Settling for “easy” will just leave your abilities, resume, and career underdeveloped.

It Feels Too Comfortable

A sure warning sign you have outgrown your job is when the excitement fades and routine takes over. Being comfortable at work is important, but being too comfortable is both a drain professionally and personally. Becoming bored at work often leads to a decrease in efficiency and accuracy. If allowed to become a pattern, being too comfortable spells doom for long-term career progress.

You’re Consistently Overworked

Perhaps the opposite of being too comfortable, being overworked can be a serious problem. Are your coworkers being laid off and you are given their responsibilities, taking on the duties of two or three people? Any job can experience temporary fluctuations in work volume, but if it’s clear that your employer expects you to consistently do the work of several people permanently and you are physically and mentally drained at the end of each day, it may be time to see what else is out there.

You’re Stuck with Old Technology

Is your employer married to old technology, making it difficult to accomplish the tasks and responsibilities expected of you? Make a business case for adopting new technologies, explaining to your supervisor how the current setup is limiting your abilities and efficiency. If they are unwilling to upgrade to what’s necessary, then it may be time to find an employer with fewer Luddite tendencies.

There’s Little Flexibility

Is it difficult for you to take a day off, or is working from home even one day per month unheard of? 80% of employers offer flexible work arrangements to some extent, and this is especially true of many IT jobs that can be conducted remotely. Work-life balance is becoming increasingly important to workers, and this desire for flexibility is driving increased interest in contract or consulting jobs that best offer this. If your current role lacks the flexibility you want, chances are you can find a new, more flexible one.

Your Interests Have Changed

You’re not the same person today as you were when you began your current job. People change, and so do their goals and desires. Over time, you are likely exposed to new ideas and professions you didn’t know about when you made your five-year career plan. If you begin to feel that you’re more interested in another field, sector, industry, or job than the one you are currently in, that may be the biggest sign of all.

What to Do If You Have Outgrown Your Job

If any of the above signs describe you, then it is time to look at what new opportunities are available. Update your technical resume, network with industry peers, and reach out to a people-focused staffing firm for assistance in your search; you just might be surprised at what is out there.

At Smart Resources, we genuinely get to know our candidates to connect them with the right opportunity for their career growth. Ready for a change? View our jobs here.