Three Obvious Signs You Are in the Wrong Career
There is arguably no feeling worse than ending up in a career that doesn’t suit your interests. Being in a mismatched career can lead to negative mental health and an all-around unhealthy lifestyle. You may notice yourself becoming stressed more easily and feeling frustrated at your job. While these are symptoms of being in the wrong career, there are larger signs that you should keep an eye out for.
People can end up in the wrong career for a number of reasons. Perhaps they accepted the first job that came their way post-graduation, or maybe they took the job to please someone in their life. Regardless of how, if you believe that you’re in the wrong career, it is best to get out while you still can.
Are You Bored at Work?
Being bored at work and daydreaming about the weekend is one thing. Being bored every single day, even when you’re not in the office is another. Contrary to popular belief, a healthy amount of boredom is actually completely normal at work. In fact, recent studies show that over 40 percent of people get bored at their jobs.
Clearly you’re not alone. However, if the boredom you're experiencing is interfering with your job to the point that you can’t complete your work, or if the boredom is due to the tasks themselves, it’s likely that you are in the wrong career. Staying at a job that bores you every single day is likely to lead to you becoming burnt out far quicker than someone in an exciting career path.
Consider taking a career quiz to see if there is another path that lines up better with both your interests and skills. Doing so can help you get a better handle on what it is that may interest you and reduce that boredom to a minimal amount. Otherwise, you may unnecessarily end your career due to boredom.
Did You Take the Job for the Wrong Reasons?
When it comes to determining whether or not you’re in the wrong career, it’s important to look at why you took the job in the first place. Did the position jump off the page you were reading and make you wonder in excitement about what you could be doing? Alternatively, did you pick your job because it seemed like it provided money and something to do?
There is nothing wrong with the former, but there is very much something wrong with the latter. Look at where you see yourself in five years and if the answer is your same career, and that frustrates you, then you are in the wrong career. You should never head into a career to appease someone else or because it offers a lucrative salary, but will burn you out.
Your work is bound to make up a large part of your life and leaving a bad career after a number of years can make you feel as if you wasted time in your life. Consider looking into pursuing additional education via an online degree from an accredited institution and using that knowledge to enter a new career path.
Do You Constantly Wish You Did Something Else?
Being envious of someone else at your company and the work they do is normal, but if it goes to the extreme of causing you to dislike your own job, then a problem has formed. When your friends talk about what they do, do you find yourself being happy for them or being jealous?
It’s unreasonable to think that every career will be less exciting than yours, but constantly wishing you were doing something else is the biggest sign that you’re not on the right path. If you know you don’t want to stay on your current path, but also don’t know what career you want, it’s important to do research so you don’t end up in a second mismatched career. Identify your interests and focus on what makes you happy. From there, discover a career that fits those qualifications.
No one can fault you for choosing to stay in a career because it provides a stable income and you can tolerate the work. However, if you ever choose to pursue a career that lights a passion in your heart and makes you forget about money, you may soon realize what an unhealthy situation you were in. Regardless of what you do now, be sure to keep an eye out for all the signs that you may have accidentally ended up in the wrong career
Article from Artur Meyster of Career Karma
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