There is a point in most careers when you’ve just had enough. You’ve stapled the same set of papers, given the same speech, and scheduled the same excursion for your clients.
Slowly, despite your best efforts mediocrity begins to set in. Because unless you’re a robot, things begin to get a little stale after the 973rd time of saying the same speech.
You begin to dread going into the office, turn over and hit snooze 7 times because you got home so late from the previous day’s work that you feel like your head has just begun to touch the pillow when the irritating beeping of your alarm clock eases into your subconscious.
Do you recognize any of these behaviors or feelings? This is why I fired myself before I got fired by someone else.
There is a point when you have to admit that you’re no longer good for the organization that you work with. Not because you’re an awful person or a bad employee, there is just a natural life cycle that happens with everything.
Life Cycle of A Job:
- Looking for a new position-Crafting resumes, doing a self-evaluation of your own skill sets, feeling a sense of urgency and maybe a little discomfort
- Get asked to interview-Research organization, do interview prep, wear a nice suit
- Interview-Go through what feels like the gauntlet. Feel like you did pretty well
- Rejected-Crud! Have to go through the first 3 steps until hired
- Hired-New kid on the block, learn the ropes, and figure things out
- Been there for awhile-feeling pretty confident about your role in the organization and your ability to contribute
- Have seniority-you are one of the big wigs. Everyone knows who you are
- Beginning to Feel Like You’ve Stayed Too Long-When you have this feeling you probably already have stayed too long.
People who get fired from their jobs usually were good employees when they first started. But, over time complacency may have started to take root. You may be arriving a little later everyday, not as focused on the details of your work like you used to be, or just plain over it.
The thing that everyone has to remember….especially the lifers:
Everyone can be replaced
No one is indispensable in an organization and there is almost always someone hungrier than you who will rock your position. That is why it’s healthy to change positions not only for your own personal growth but for the health of an organization.
If I had stayed at my job as painful as it is to admit, I would have begun to experience changes to my position that would have indicated that the “end is near.”
How To Prolong A Job…For Awhile
I was able to work as long as I did at my job because I learned several new skill sets and was able to apply them to my position.
I also learned another language-Spanish. So, it’s possible to breathe life into a position that you’ve worked in for a long time, but, I would strongly encourage you not to do that unless it’s a Recession like The Great Recession and you’ve made a pragmatic decision.
Hiking in Hawaii finding myself. Love it.
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My husband and I have onMy been at our position for a little over two years. We’ve stayed too long. About two years too long 😉 but we are having a hard time finding openings in his field, and just hoping we can hang on until that happens. It’s hard to stay motivated when I know promotions are not merit based and that lots of people view me as a secretary (I’m an engineering project manager).
It’s truly frustrating when you feel like you’re not valued in the way that you would imagine you should be. That was one of the biggest issues that I when I finally left, I had overstayed and I felt underutilized and unappreciated. Now, part of that could of been the frustration oozing from my pores about my situation. The last thing I think of for an engineering project manager is “secretary.” I would be pissed off. Things will work out. Sending good vibes your way!
People are so afraid to leave what feels comfortable to them. I really believe that we should know when it is time to go or move on.
I just had a gut feeling-for years! It took me awhile to imagine what the next thing would be for me but I really think I would be in an even worse situation if I had stayed any longer.
I think that that is a common career path. It’s great that you had the courage to get out of a good job that wan’t meaningful for you anymore. It’s just not worth it.
The Recession/Depression really created a huge bump in my road because I would have left sooner. I am still glad that I made the pragmatic choice to stay. That worked out. But, now it was time to GO!
I am at a point where I have to push myself to take advantage of the opportunities that are available at work… I am spending too much time dreaming of passive income pursuits. I need to develop the skills that I can while at work and stay engaged!
I had access to free college classes because I worked at a university. That’s how I learned Spanish. Passive income is very addicting though. I really enjoy reading posts from people who have figured that out. I want to be one of them.
So happy for you, girl! Everyone is replaceable and when you know it’s not right, it’s best to move on. Glad you did!
When a person works at a place for as long as I did you stop believing that you could be replaced. You believe you’re indispensable and that’s a dangerous lie to believe. My quality of work was suffering even though I was really trying to do a good job. And, I was TIRED! A person as tired as I was stops being productive. There’s just no way I was going to produce good results-I was in a fog.
I agree — after a while you’ve just done as much as you can do in a position, and it’s time to try something new (or get really bored and unhappy and unproductive.) Kudos to you for figuring out a way to make this transition!
I was so done that it was kind of pathetic (in retrospect) to watch.
it takes real courage to leave the comfy (even if stale and unchallenging) for the unknown. I hope you have wonderful stretching experiences!!!
I hope they are wonderful too! The stale was so stale I just couldn’t stand it anymore 🙂
I think you are spot on with this. I was fired before because I overstayed the position (by about 6 months). Instead I should I have been job searching that whole time. Because as soon as I got a new job after I was an amazing employee doing something new and exciting to me. It’s definitely important to shake things up and make changes for your own personal growth and to be a better employee. Overstaying a job can be draining on you and the company you work for. It’s scary to leave something comfortable but its the only way you can take advantage of other opportunities.
I also saw this happen to other friends/colleagues. So, observing those situations also made it very clear to me that I was replaceable and should be replaced because fresh energy was good for me and the organization. I feel the best that I have in 4 years.
Knowing when to leave is so important. This is something I’ve struggled with in the past. I worked in a job that was horrible, but I was scared to leave, even though I was treated like crap. I had all the symptoms you mentioned and then some. Once I finally stood up for myself and left, I not only felt better, but the next job has been much better. Good for you for recognizing it was time to try something new.
I haven’t had a migraine since I left. I was having migraines on a weekly basis and a lot of anxiety related symptoms. I feel a lot better.
I’ve always been early at everything in my life, literally everything. I am hitting this burnout stage at my FT job early too. It’s only been 3 years, but I’m over it! It’s not what I want to be doing for another 25+ years, let alone just another 2-3 years. I’m glad you fired yourself 🙂
I think in this you’re normal. Most people would change around the 3 year mark. I had the Recession/Depression hit during my 3 year mark when I was about to change my job. I stayed. And, am really glad that I did! But, time goes by quickly so I had to fire myself.
I’m a teacher, so its a little different. I feel that everyday is different and every school year is starkly different in a lot of ways (what my day looks like has remained the same for the last three years, however). I love my job (just not the location) and once I get ready to move on I could continue teaching Special Education or move to teach something different or take on a non-teaching role in the school. I know a number of teachers who taught the same subject for a few years then quit teaching or started teaching a different subject.
Don’t laugh…I worked in higher education 🙂 I wasn’t a teacher though, I was an administrator and I do agree that for educators there is something different each day. I did work directly with my students (adult ESL students from abroad) and they were fantastic I just hated what I was actually doing…immigration. Uggh. So painful.
Good for you! I totally agree with what you said. People get, “stuck” in jobs and then they start getting unhappy and resentful. I’ve been thinking about my own career lately and trying to decide “what’s next?”. I’ve been at my company for 5 years. I’ve been promoted a few times, but really have no desire to work my way up the ladder anymore (pay increase would be very small and I’m not sure there’s much more I can learn). It’s exciting and scary all at the same time.
It was painful for me to be there and towards the end it was a struggle. I’m really lucky that I worked with such awesome people!