Is it time to break free?

Do you wake up excited and full of joy at the thought of another day at work that promises to challenge and enliven? Or, does your day consist of pushing paper from one side of the desk to the other, making endless cups of coffee in an attempt to break the monotony? Or perhaps you hide in the toilets to avoid the boss from hell?

If it’s the latter two, you’ve probably thought about finding another job.

'You need to be sure whether a move is the right option before taking the plunge,' said Suzanne Cameron, senior commercial consultant at Carlton Resource Solutions.

'We all have bad days or weeks and even months at work, so are you completely sure that you want to move to pastures new? Give serious thought to the reasons why things are not going so well at work. Is it just a temporary phase? Or has the job lost its appeal for good?'

Cameron advised considering the following questions before making a decision.

Can you cope with the stresses of the job? Perhaps the corporate culture or the company ethos is at odds with your own preferences, or the hours of the job no longer fit in with how you want to (or have to) live your life?

Although you enjoy the company of your colleagues, are your talents largely wasted in this type of career? Are you stagnating in your position?

If you can’t see yourself doing this job for the next few years then think about opportunities for development and progression in your current organisation.

Cameron said: 'If you can’t see any potential for development, then request a meeting with your boss to discuss the matter. You don’t have to tell them that you are unhappy - just that you would like to know how they see you developing. They may well have plans for you that you are unaware of, or you may realise that there is no future for you there. Either way, it should help you make up your mind about whether or not to move on.

'If you do decide that the only option is to find a new job, think about what you really want to do. Your skills are a valuable commodity. Don’t go for the first job that comes up just to get away. Make a promise to yourself to only go for things that really interest you. That way you are less likely to find yourself in the same position in a year’s time.

'How much do the current problems in your job affect you, are they worth leaving your job over? Will these problems disappear with a new job or will they still exist? Worse still, will they be replaced by more significant problems?'

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December 2007

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