Escaping the conveyor belt

The other day I was running a leadership workshop at a tech company. The participants were all very highly skilled, capable mid-career professionals, full of energy, enthusiasm and with plenty of potential.

Which is why I was surprised when someone said “If I could make the same money doing something else, I would”. Upon probing we uncovered that the job she was doing was a means to an end, rather than something she loved, let alone a passion or a calling.

“It’s like being on one of those airport conveyor belts”, she said. “You get on because there’s one right in front of you and it seems to go in the right direction. But at some point, you want to get off, only to realise that’s not really possible. And when you do eventually come off at the end, you might not be where you were trying to go”.

Recognise this? I do. When I joined a large multinational straight out of university, I thought I’d stay for a few years, get some experience under my belt and move on. 16 years later I was still there. Don’t get me wrong, I had a great time! I learned tons, got promoted regularly, and met some fantastic people - many of whom have become close personal friends. Yet with hindsight, I was probably ready to leave a few years before I eventually did. It was much easier and more convenient to keep moving on the corporate conveyor belt than to take the risk of getting off.

So how do we know when it’s time to jump? 

Here are ten common signs that you should consider handing in your notice:

1. You’re dreading Mondays. Or any weekday.
   If Sunday blues is a familiar friend and you have a feeling of dread thinking of yet another day or week in the office, it’s probably time.

2. You have stopped learning.
   We all need the right amount of challenge to feel accomplished. If your job feels a little too comfortable and you could do it with your eyes closed, you have probably stayed in it for too long.

3. You’re complaining. A lot!
   At work to your colleagues and at home to your family and friends. We all know the grumps that never seem to be happy. Leave before you become one of them.

4. You’ve lost interest. Remember when you first started in your job and loved telling people about what you do for living? If you can’t remember the last time you enjoyed talking about your work, that’s a sign.

5. You’ve stopped believing.
   Are you secretly wondering if you’re actually doing something worthwhile? Are you doubting your organisation’s purpose? It’s more than a short-term ‘Greta effect' that makes more and more people long for a meaningful career with a true purpose. If you don’t believe in the value of your work, it’s time to do something else.

6. Your health is impacted.
   You don’t sleep well and are feeling stressed, which you put down to one thing: work.

7. You’re only staying for the money.
   Of course, we all have bills to pay and when we have a successful career, we often have the lifestyle to go with it, which may be hard to dial back. Yet, there are very few people who are motivated by money enough to be able to ignore the frustrations that come with being in the wrong job. Life’s too short!

8. You’re feeling trapped.
   Staying in the job makes you feel bad but the thought of leaving frightens you even more? Especially if you’ve been in your organisation for a long time, it’s normal to wonder whether you can still cut it elsewhere. You probably can, but you’ll never know unless you try.

9. You are envious.
   You dread meeting your friends who seem to be happy in their jobs as it makes the contrast to how you feel all the more obvious.

10. You want to be somewhere else. Because you can’t shake off the feeling that your talents, skills and experience could be much more valuable elsewhere

If you are reading through this list and frequently think “yes that’s me”, it’s surely a sign that you have been on the conveyor belt for too long and that it’s time to consider other options.