Is it Time for a Career Change to Safeguard Your Best Interests?

As a working adult, do you find yourself frustrated with your job? Your dissatisfaction may stem from one of the following aspects of your work-life: job duties, supervisor, compensation and benefits, work schedule, clientele, or coworkers. Whatever your situation is, the daily frustration with your job can make it very hard to get up in the morning and make it through the day at work.

If you are often feeling unhappy at your job, it might be time for a career change. Here are ten common-sense signs that your job might be negatively affecting you:

1. You arrive late to work two or more times a week.

2. You've used up all your sick days and personal days because you require a lot of time off to unwind from your job.

3. You recently received a bad evaluation, and you have always received good evaluations.

4. Your job has affected your physical and/or emotional health (i.e. migraines, depression, weight gain, irritability, sleep deprivation), and you may or may not have sought professional help.

5. You spend a good portion of your workday doing unproductive activities like daydreaming and surfing the Internet.

6. You have resumed unhealthy habits like smoking or drinking.

7. You are irritable at home to the point that your behavior is negatively affecting your family.

8. You have spent months or years searching for new jobs but have yet to find one that allows you to quit this unhappy position.

9. You keep the door to your office closed most of the time because you don't want to be bothered by your supervisor and/or coworkers.

10. You have spent much time contemplating going back to school to acquire the training for a new career.

If you have recently found yourself in any of these situations (or others) that scream job dissatisfaction, it is time to take a deep look inside yourself and think about what is best for your future.

The American Psychological Association reported on 10/16/05 about the findings of a study published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. The researchers studied the connection between job burnout and depression and the impact on male and female health. They established a connection between these factors and the body's immune system. The researchers concluded:

"These results suggest that the burned-out women and depressed men are at a greater risk for future inflammation-related diseases, like diabetes, heart disease and strokes compared with their non-burned out and non-depressed counterparts."

If you are a person who is affected physically or emotionally by the poor conditions of your current job or career, there is always the option to seek professional help. If you are frustrated but looking to help yourself, online career counseling might help you to explore the possibility of a career change. The National Association for Career Development's web site references two sources for online counseling: Horizons Unlimited (based in Maryland and Washington, D.C.) and Ready Minds (specializing in one-on-one counseling).

Now is the time to improve your work-life by changing your employer or your career, and there are many professionals in your community who can help.