How To Know If You're In A
Mid-Career Crisis

5 Signs To Watch For If You Are Unsatifisfied With Your Job

What Is A Mid-Career Crisis?

A mid-career crisis is the sense of major doubt, and reevaluation of your career, you may be thinking to yourself, ‘Have I settled for a career that doesn’t fulfil me?’ If the thought of long-term career commitment in your job fills you with anxiety and apprehension, there’s a good chance that you’re in career evaluation.

A mid-career crisis is more common than you may think, it can happen at any age from your late 20s through to your 50s or 60s. It isn’t a bad day or a case of the return to work blues after the bank holiday, it is about questioning your chosen career path and professional existence.

Do you feel like you have done everything you were supposed to do and now you hate where you are at in your career? Does it feel like you don’t know what to do any more?

A mid-career crisis often creeps up on you and, you must be aware of the signs before it overtakes you. Otherwise, you’ll end up working the rest of your career in misery at a job you hate.

Here are some common indicators:

Persistent Unhappiness:

If the Sunday night dread becomes a regular fixture and the thought of getting up and going to work on Monday mornings makes you wish you could stay in bed, you might be experiencing dissatisfaction that goes beyond the occasional bad day.

Lack Of Motivation:

Are you getting bored more often at work and feel like you’re not learning anything new? Has the excitement you once got from your career vanished, and a constant lack of interest looms over you? This could be an indication that your career isn’t resonating with your ambitions and passion any more.

Helth Implications:

Perhaps your job is making you sick. Common signs of feeling trapped in a job you hate can include, stress and anxiety, headaches, difficulties sleeping, lack of confidence and self-esteem, and being irritable.

Recurring Desire For Change Or Exploring New Roles:

Do you waste time looking through online job boards and wondering if a new job will be the right one? Or if you actively seek information on new roles that are unrelated to your current job and thoughts of a career change frequently recur, it’s more than likely it’s not a momentary urge. Your desire is strong for change.

Newfound Passion:

Have you discovered a new love of interest in a completely new field to your current one? Does it genuinely excite you and the feeling to jump can’t be dismissed? This new passion can be the engine that drives your next career move.

What To Do If You Are Looking For Job Satisfaction

Awareness is the first thing. Do the common indicators above sound familiar, do you find yourself frequently looking for other jobs? Is your calendar filled with odd days off, are they normally Fridays and Mondays? Are you the last to arrive in the mornings and the first to leave in the evenings? Do you feel exhausted, drained and have trouble sleeping? Or, have you found a new passion and you can’t wait to start your new project? As soon as you acknowledge the signs of your unhappiness at work it’s time to do something about it.

Create a journal to externalise your thoughts and note your behaviours. Then reflect on your diary entries once a week and once a month. As you do, ask yourself questions like, “What motivates me?”, What are my long-term goals?”, “What am I looking for in my career?”, “What’s currently missing in my job?” “What do I want to achieve in my career?”. Self-reflection questions like these will help you gain clarity on what it is you want from your job. Once you have it out of your head and down on paper in front of you, you will be able to see what’s missing, what needs to be added, and what needs to be removed. The sooner you spot the signs and act to move forward, the better.