September 17, 2015

Five Reasons to Swipe Right on a New Job

9 minutes

It's the age of the fickle worker.

Business psychology professor Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic said technological innovations make us extremely aware of all the options out there — both in dating and in the job market. For example, he explained that about 70 percent of LinkedIn users are considered "passive job seekers" — checking out other jobs — even when they're not on an active search. This, Chamorro said, may be hurting our psyches.

"There's a known psychological rule that states that the more choice we have, the harder it is to choose and the less happy we are with the outcome," said Chamorro, a professor at University College London and the CEO of Hogan Assessments.

So the key is to cut through the noise your inner voice makes about how dissatisfied you are and figure out if it is truly time to leave.

In an article he wrote for the Harvard Business Review, "5 Signs It's Time For A New Job," Chamorro described the triggers he says indicate it's time to leave.

You're not learning. If you've learned all there is in your current role, that could mean it's time to find something more stimulating.

You're under-performing. Good performance can be its own motivator. But if you suddenly find you're no longer doing a great job like you used to — and, in turn, you're not getting positive feedback — it might be time to find a new challenge that makes you want to work hard.

You feel undervalued. It's subjective, but the feelings are what matter here: If you feel you're undervalued by management, it may be time to leave. You could do be doing the same work in a place where you are valued, and that would be much more rewarding.

You're doing it for the money. If you feel like money is the only reason you get up in the morning, it might mean it's time to find something that makes you care a little more.

You hate your boss. If you can't stand your boss even after you try to make it work, it might be time to look for another one.

Chamorro tempered these triggers with one caveat: "This isn't an area where impulsive decisions are likely to pay off, so it's more sensible to wait, to think," he said. But if you keep feeling the symptoms described above even after you try to fix your situation, it can't hurt to start looking around.

And just like you'd do with dating apps like Tinder, if you're already taken, or in this case, employed, you might want to keep your search on the down-low.

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