Bella Breakdown

These days, the normal timespan for someone to keep a job is 4.4 years. For millennials, it can be even shorter than that. The average millennial will have between 15 and 20 jobs in their lifetime, which is far greater than generations prior.

Moving from job to job can be exciting: you get to learn new skills, become a more seasoned and experienced worker, meet new people, and potentially live in a new place. However, there is also something to be said for people who stay at one company for an extended period of time, truly getting to grow within a place and help that place to grow itself.

Both have their benefits and disadvantages. So, how can you know when it is time for you to leave your job and move on to something new? Consider these three questions in order to help you decide whether it is time for you to pack up your desk.

1. Is there room for you to move up or around in the company?

If the answer to this is no, you may want to consider finding a new job. Career advancement is very difficult in companies where positions don’t often change or become available. If you are becoming stagnant and have learned all you have learned in your new position, and there is no where for you to go, it probably time to move on.

2. Do you dread going to work every morning?

Everyone has their good days and bad days on the job, but if you are constantly dreading waking up in the morning to go to your job, then you should find something that you actually like to do. You will spend an average of 90,000 hours at work in your lifetime, so you better make those hours count and do something that is fulfilling and makes you happy.

3. Do you constantly dream of doing something else?

It is in our nature to imagine what our lives would be like if we lived somewhere else, did something else, or were with someone else. It is ok to think about life under different circumstances every once and a while. However, if this is a constant state of being for you, and you prefer the fantasy world to the real world that you live in, you better go try and find something that makes you want to stay in reality.

Caution: All of these questions are important to ask yourself. However, remember that at the end of the day you are the only one who can make you happy. Not a job.

You should pursue your professional goals and chase your dreams with vigor. However, do not move from job to job in the hopes that someday you will find happiness. You can only find that within yourself.