When you’re unhappy at your job, it tends to cloud your overall outlook. After all, you spend at least 40 hours a week at your workplace, and that’s a big chunk of your time.
But is unhappiness at work a good reason to leave? After all, no job is perfect and there will always be some thing that gets on your nerves, right? What criteria do other singles use to determine if it’s time to move on?
SingleRoots Writers Say…
For wise counsel, we asked some of our SingleRoots alumni writers to weigh in on the matter. Here’s what they had to say:
“We hear a lot about how young adults in their 20s and 30s don’t stay in jobs very long. My experience, however, has shown that job-switching is the symptom, not the problem. The problem is that many entry- and mid-level jobs don’t have a clear paths of advancement. Whereas a worker use to be able to start at a job out of college and expect to stay there 20 years and work their way up in the company, today’s young workers’ only options for working their way up is jumping around a few times within their industry. That said, it might be time for you to consider switching jobs if you have mastered all of your responsibilities (be honest with yourself here) and there is no clear option for advancement at your employer. Have an on-going conversation with your supervisor about what new skills you can learn, what new responsibilities you could take on, and what new promotions you would qualify for, and if your supervisor has no options for you to continue growing, look for another job that does.”
::Jacqueline Isaacs, author of Are You Chasing the End of the Rainbow?
“Career questions are challenging because of the sheer amount of time we spend at work. As Christians we are called to love God and love others, but we are given a lot of freedom in how we live out that calling with regards to our day in day out job. Ultimately if you are working hard and being a good steward of your time, gifts, and resources in your job that is a pretty good place to be. It might be a helpful clue as whether you should switch jobs if you find yourself continually struggling at work. Maybe it takes you twice as long to do a project as it does everyone else–this could me it isn’t a good fit for your skills and abilities. It might be that you are continually grumbling and complaining about your daily task–maybe this isn’t a good fit for your interest. It might be that you feel bored or unfulfilled in the mission of your organization, as you reflect could it be that a new job would better use your time to invest in the needs of others. Are you in a season of paying down debt, needing to live in a specific geographic location, spending your non work hours in a role in your church community–all of these reasons and more might be reasons to stay put and pray that God change your motivation. Not all of us are called to be missionaries overseas, but we are called to be Christ like in our workplaces.”
::Amy Johnson, author of How I Learned to Start Trusting God
“When you have a new job lined up. Joking…sort of. What’s your motivation? Is it just that the other job is new? Is it really better? Are you running from dealing with something at your current job? How will affect the other things you are doing, especially ministry?”
::Justin Campbell, author of Am I the Best Me When I’m with My Family?
“For me, I was getting totally burnt out at my job so I decided to get my master’s degree in order to be better qualified in my field. Once that’s completed, I’m switching. So I suppose it is when you’re complaining about it to everyone all the time. That’s usually a good indicator that something is amiss.”
::Nicole McLernon, author of Instead of Chasing Purity
“Oh, man. Maybe I should skip this and come back and get advice from other people. I’ve had 11+ years of career angst. I’ve learned a few things though. I find making tough decisions like this are made easier when we spend time with the Lord just because we spend time with the Lord. When we learn to hear His voice, we start to glean wisdom and conviction about these types of choices. I’ve had multiple times that I didn’t feel any conviction after months, even years of prayer. I finally had to come to decision that in those cases God was okay with me looking for new opportunities and releasing fears of ‘Well what if this isn’t in his plan?!?’”
::W. Brandon Howard, author of Killing My Idols
Explore the Topic Further…
For further discussion on career decisions, check out these posts:
Single and…Seeking a Career Change – “Georgia was born in Texas, grew up in Alabama, went to college in Louisiana, and now lives in Tennessee. Her love for the Spanish language, as well as a desire to help people succeed, reminds her that her career looks nothing like she’d hoped it would, but she’s not giving up until that happens.”
Changing Jobs Is No Big Deal – “Even as recent as last month, I welcomed another twist, another turn in my job journey. I chose to leave a job in nonprofit management at a great organization, taking on a challenging role in the government consulting arena—something brand new for this work-in-my-pajamas freelance writer.”
Defining Success: Family Man, Career Man, or Something Else? – “It’s been a cause of struggle for me since I started my new job, wrestling with my own plans while being faced with a divergent plan. I’ve only recently been humbling myself to take that divergent path because this fact is becoming clear: I’m successful where God wants me to be.”
