Are You Bored?

You Can Do Better

“I hate my job. I hate my job. I need the money. I hate my job. I totally hate it.” I’m dragging myself in to work and asking, “Why am I doing this? It’s the same thing I’ve been doing forever.” If this is you, you just might be bored. Boredom at work can look like lethargy, agitation or irritation, and it’s draining. It’s a signal that you aren’t doing work that you find meaningful. Maybe you’ve mastered the job and aren’t learning anything new anymore. If you’re work is no longer challenging or engaging, you might be bored and ready for a change.

From Risk to Reward

Change has risk, but not necessarily more risk than staying where you are. If you’re disengaged, people will start to notice and that’s not helpful. Making a career change is challenging, but with a good plan it can turn out great. Within a year after a career change, people generally report higher job satisfaction and better working conditions.

McKinsey reports that when people change jobs or build new careers, they usually switch industries, leveraging their existing experience but choosing a different environment and culture. Some people find a new career in the same field, or even with the same employer, but sometimes in a different role with new or less responsibilities.

A Change is As Good As a Rest

Ben started in public works at the age of 23, digging ditches at the very bottom. He’s sharp and well liked so he moved up pretty quickly. In time he came to be trusted by both management and the union with some rare negotiation skills and making him very valuable. But at 50, he was still there in the same publics works yard. The years were starting to get longer. But he looked a decade younger when after 27 years, he switched from one municipality to another. It helped that the new job had fewer people to manage, better hours and better pay, but even without all that, he knew it was time for a change. What do they say? A change is as good as a rest.