Popular How To Know When It's Time To Change Jobs J.T. O'DonnellJenna ArcandJuly 18, 2024 Bigstock

Remember when you started at your current job? You may have felt excited about the opportunities that were ahead, and the new skills you were going to learn.

Fast-forward to present you at your job. Do you have that same excitement? If not, you may want to consider switching jobs.

Studies show that people who are mentally checked out on the job but not proactively looking for new work can end up becoming underperformers.

In worst-case scenarios, these people could get fired for poor performance.

You don't want that happening to you, right? We don't either. That's why we're giving you this three-step strategy to help you decide whether to leave your job or not.

Understand The "Experience + Learn = Grow" Model For Success

It may be hard to hear, but if you aren't growing in your career, you're dying in your career.

The experiences you're having at work should be building up your skills, not dragging you down. Every couple of months, take a step back and look at the work you've done. Have those work experiences made you learn and grow into a better professional?

If they haven't, then you're not growing as a professional. That's a problem.

Make Sure Your Work Is Enabling You To Grow In 3 Ways

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The experiences you're having at work should help you grow in the following three ways:

1. Financial - You want opportunities within your organization that will let you build up your income. You could be looking for a raise, or a promotion, to keep up with your personal goals. It's important to know if your company is giving you the opportunities to achieve this.

2. Influence - This is meant in terms of power and control over your career. The more influence you have in terms of the respect and the support from your peers and managers, the better. Successful experiences will help you earn their trust and respect.

3. Skills - You must stay relevant to your work if you want to be happy with your career. As you build up your skill set, you become more valuable to your employer.

If you feel like you're hitting a dead end in any of these areas, it's time for a change.

Make The Decision To Leave (Or Stay) & Stick With It

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Once you've gone through the first two steps of this process, you know whether or not you've hit some major roadblocks.

If you have hit those roadblocks, you can do one of two things.

You could sit down with your boss and talk about what you can do to get back on track.

Or, you could make the decision to leave. If you make this decision, it's important that you stick with this decision and create a solid job search plan.

Final tip: It's always easier to find a new job when you have a job! We recommend you look for a new job while still employed at your current employer (aka don't quit before you have another job lined up!). That way, you won't feel desperate in your job search( employers can smell desperation a mile away) and you will also have a steady paycheck, enabling you to make the transition when you're ready.

At the end of the day, it's up to you to decide if it's time to leave your job. That's why it's so important to really think through this decision and decide if it's the right thing to do. Follow the tips above to make the right decision with confidence!

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career Partner Boost 11 Ways To Enjoy Summer When You’re Working A Full-Time Job Ariella CoombsJenna ArcandJune 13, 2024 Bigstock

There you are: sitting on the beach, covered in sunscreen, reading your favorite book, drinking your favorite drink under the cool shade of an umbrella. Life doesn't get any better than this. Suddenly, a door slams, a phone rings, a printer turns on. You jolt back into consciousness. You're at work, sitting in your cubicle, without even a hint of sunshine streaming in from outside.

When you're working a full-time job, finding time to enjoy the warm, bright summer weather can be a challenge. This is especially true for young professionals, as many of them are used to having summers off (or, at the very least, having a flexible summer schedule). But there's no need to feel trapped behind your cubicle walls. Go out and enjoy summer!

Here are a few tips for making the most of your summer while working full time.

1. Grab Some Foldable Chairs

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Keep a couple of foldable camping chairs at the office so you and a co-worker can catch some rays during lunch—whether it's in the park or the parking lot.

2. Keep A Beach Bag In Your Car​

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Keep a bag full of summer supplies for your favorite summer activities. Having a bag (or, in my case, a backseat) full of towels, sunscreen, and swimwear keeps you prepared for anything. Friends hitting up the pool after work? You're covered. Once the clock strikes five, you can head to your destination of choice immediately.

3. Plan An Office Outing

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Plan an office field trip to the beach, the park, or the pool. Just do something fun so your brain can recharge and refresh!

4. Organize Group Walks

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Get a bunch of co-workers together and go on regular walks around town during lunch. (Or you could suggest a quick jaunt over to the ice cream shop.) This is a great way to get some fresh air, sunshine, and exercise.

5. Eat Lunch At The Park

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When you find yourself eating out, hit up places with a deck, porch, or patio of some sort. Obviously, eating out every day isn't really a feasible option for most of us, so look into alternative ideas as well. Pack a lunch and hit the park for your own little picnic.

6. Organize Office Sports

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Whether it's setting up an official office sports team or just hanging out with your colleagues a few times a week, playing sports is a great way to get out and enjoy the weather. Have a field nearby? Try setting up some slow-pitch softball games. Or see if you can get a basketball hoop for the office so you and a few co-workers can shoot some hoops at lunch.

7. Join A Professional Group

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During the summer, professional networking groups often have fun events like harbor cruises, pub crawls, and outdoor mixers. Find a professional group in your area and make networking fun this summer.

8. Have An Office BBQ

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Get your grill on! Talk to your boss about setting up an office BBQ. Ask everyone to contribute their favorite dish, side, or drink. Fire up the grill and relax! Hey, it's summer after all.

9. Wake Up Early

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Yes, yes, I know...waking up early is an incredibly painful and unbearable experience for some of us, but waking up even an hour earlier has its benefits—especially in the summer. Go for a morning run, putter around in the garden, or watch the sunrise with a loved one. Talk about starting the day off right!

10. Strategically Use Your Time Off

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Strategically use your vacation days around holidays. This way, you can make a potentially long weekend longer without having to use too much of your precious vacation time. Half days are also pretty awesome. It's amazing how much you can do with four extra hours! If you want an early weekend but don't want to burn up your vacation days too quickly, try taking a half day on a Friday instead of using a full day off.

11. Bike To Work

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If you're one of the lucky few who live within walking or biking distance of work, take advantage of it! Not only will you get plenty of fresh air, but you'll also save money on gas, which is always a plus!

There are plenty of easy ways to enjoy summer when you work a full-time job. So this summer, try out a few of these ideas and make the most of the sunshine and warm weather—while they're still around!

Need more help with your career?

Become a member to learn how to UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

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