If you can’t remember your last good day at work, it’s time to quit

Are you starting to get itchy feet? Well, you’re not the only one. Over the last two years, we have seen a record number of people leave their roles in a phenomenon called “The Great Resignation,” or more recently, “The Big Quit.”

This mass exodus was spurred on by lots of different factors. Firstly, the Covid-19 pandemic led to a lot of workers re-evaluating what they want from their careers. Months of lockdown gave us all time to reflect on our goals and how we can achieve them. Many workers were faced with the stark reality that their current role was not really benefiting them.

Secondly, the rise of remote working. Working from home is a bit like Marmite, you either love it or hate it. Since 2020, most tech workers have experienced it in one form or another. It has helped us to understand where we work best, whether that’s in an office, at home, or maybe a hybrid approach. As we exited the pandemic, many people decided to switch roles to align better with their preferences.

Finally, we have the cost of living crisis. The Eurozone is now undoubtedly heading for a recession, but in the meantime, people are struggling to make ends meet. In the last six months, inflation has soared across most of the bloc (German inflation hit a 40-year high in August) with the price of everything from petrol to milk going up. Of course, this is encouraging workers to seek out higher salaries and more impressive benefits packages, and who can blame them?

So, if you’re considering a career move, you’re not the only one. In fact, according to a survey by Personio in the UK and Ireland, 38% of employees are thinking about changing roles in the next six to twelve months. But, how do you know you’re not just following the crowd?

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Here’s how you know it’s actually time to quit your job.

1. It’s too easy

Your work should be challenging. Not necessarily in the, “Monday mornings are giving me crippling anxiety” kind of way, but you should be constantly learning and developing. Otherwise, really — what’s the point?

Being comfortable at work is great, but if you find that you’re doing the same work day-in and day-out with no chance of career progression or variety, then you’re going to get bored and probably a little bit lazy too. You need to move on to a more senior position, and a better salary, stat.

2. You can’t remember your last good day

Listen, no role is going to be sunshine and rainbows all the time. It’s natural to have weeks, or even months, when work just feels like a slog, especially if you’re working towards a big project or campaign.

But, there should always be happy moments. Perhaps when you landed a big account, finally fixed that annoying bug, or smashed your big presentation. If you can’t remember the last time you had a genuinely good day at the office, then it might be time to start looking for a new role.

3. You’re “quiet quitting”

The term “quiet quitting” has been doing the rounds across social media, notably TikTok, in recent weeks. But, in reality, it’s not a new concept, people have been doing it for years — older workers will know it as a “go slow.”

It’s when an employee limits their tasks to those strictly within their job description to avoid working longer hours. Basically, they’re doing the bare minimum required to keep their role.

It sounds fair enough, right? In theory, yes. But, if you have absolutely no passion or interest in your role outside of the 9-5, then it could be a sign that you’re not in the right gig. Work shouldn’t rule your life, but if you don’t feel enthusiastic enough about it to work an extra 20 minutes here and there, something’s wrong.

Ready for a new challenge now? We have three roles below that are worth a look.

CEVA Logistics provides global supply chain solutions and it needs a Backend Developer in Waalwijk. You’ll turn complex product and tool requirements into simple and optimal technical solutions using the latest technologies and choosing the best tool for the job in a technology driven environment. Partnering with business stakeholders, you’ll develop solutions that solve business problems, including gathering and validating requirements, developing, testing, and delivering the solution. If this sounds like the job for you, find out more here.

If you’re up for a new challenge, DL Software, a French leader in ERP software publishing is hiring a Cloud Architect — AWS in Paris. You’ll be participating in an innovative project as you provide support to group companies to achieve their transformation to the public cloud.

This Frontend Developer opportunity at Blip is on offer in the company’s Porto office. Blip develops software, mobile apps, web platforms, and retail applications for betting and gaming. If you have professional experience building JavaScript applications, are knowledgeable about packaging/building tools, and have experience writing clean code, then we suggest you check out all the great perks and benefits right here.

Interested in a career move? If you answered yes to 1, 2 or 3 above, then take a look at even more great roles on the House of Talent Job Board today