How to Know If Your Job Is Completely Wrong for You

Summary: Is the job you are in right now really the right job for you? Are you sure? Ask yourself these questions to find out.
 

If you’ve been job searching for any amount of time, you know the struggle. It can be exhausting, frustrating and a bit of a blow to your ego. When you’re finally offered the job, you might end up taking it out of pure excitement for actually being offered the job, because you really need the money, or because you feel like passing up a job when you don’t know if you’ll get another offer would be a poor choice. You might even have thought the position was perfect for you, only to find out it wasn’t what you thought. If you’re questioning your current job, here are some simple questions to give you a little clarity about whether your position or company is the right fit for you:

 
Are you a different person at work? Do you feel like you have to put on a different face when you go to work and can’t really be yourself or show your true self?
 
Do you like talking about your job? If someone asks you what you do or how you are liking your position, do you roll your eyes, say, “it’s fine,” and try to move on? Or do you get excited and share what you are doing at work?
 
Do you feel like you’re being used to your full potential? Are you using a good number of your skills? Do you feel like you are really contributing to your team as best you can? Or are you feeling held back or stifled?
 
Do you learn things while on the job? If you feel like you do the same thing day in and day out and don’t get any opportunities to grow, you might want to think about whether it’s a good position for your career growth.
 
Do you have room for growth? Are you interested in rising up in your company to newer, more demanding positions? Do you even have that option?
 
Do you feel like you’re helping people? It’s important to feel like what you’re doing matters. Do you feel like you’re making a difference or improving things for people or do you feel like a hamster on a wheel that is not making a positive impact?
 
How are your performance reviews? Do you get positive feedback from your boss or can they tell you aren’t excited to be there and aren’t putting A+ effort into your work?
 
How do you feel on Sunday nights? Sure, everyone is a little sad the weekend is coming to a close, but do you get anxiety about going to work the next day? Do you dread waking up on Monday morning and starting the work week?
 
Would you take the same job if it paid less than you’re being paid now? This question is a big indicator of whether or not you really enjoy your job. If you’d want to jump ship with even a small pay cut, that’s a red flag that you’re just there to earn money and don’t enjoy what you’re doing.
 

• See Choose Work That Fits Your Nature for more information.