Signs that you need a new job or a new boss

When you were little you may have had different aspirations for what you wanted to be when you were older. I remember playing catch with my dad, feeling destined to make it in Major League Baseball. Unfortunately, my interests quickly diverted to other paths, and while I have not completely ruled it out, I don’t think my big league dream is going to come to fruition.

Others may have had dream jobs that they have gone out and attained. For those individuals who were so driven by passion to succeed, it can be awful if the work environment is negative. You may not think about who your boss or coworkers are going to be when you are little, but they hold the greatest influence on over if you enjoy your job.

The right job will make you feel like you are fulfilled, but too many jobs feel monotonous or passionless. You might have the best job you thought you wanted in a creative field until you realize your boss is a soul-sucking creative roadblock.

You spend more time at work than arguably anywhere else and it is critical that you do not hate your boss and work environment. Displeasure in the workplace can extend to all areas of your life. Do you think your boss sucks? If you have to think about it, that may be a good sign they aren’t all bad. However, if he or she shows up multiple times in this list, I hate to break it to you, but your work environment and boss suck.

10. You Feel Unfulfilled

Your job is where you are going to spend the majority of your week. There is nothing worse than going in every single day, and knowing you are not doing anything that makes you feel passionate. The right working environment should make you feel inspired and the longer you spend at a job the harder you may find it to leave. The more unfulfilled you feel at your job, the higher the chance this is also going to negatively impact your sense of self-worth and confidence. Think about what it is in life that you are passionate about. Now think if that passion is expressed through your current form of employment, and if it is not, look for ways to integrate your passion into your life.

9. You Get Blamed For Problems That Aren’t Your Fault

Nobody likes a company where it feels like nobody can ever take responsibility for themselves. If you make a mistake, that is unfortunate, but mistakes happen. What is even more frustrating is if you get blamed for other people’s problems. You have enough on your plate without worrying about what Johnny Bravo down the hall is doing. If you are constantly being blamed for other areas, it will also lead to a stressful work environment which can severely hinder productivity. This also displays a lack of overall organization in the office towards who is responsible for what projects and can lead to you being unrecognized for your achievements.

8. You Are Constantly Being Yelled At

It sucks to get yelled at. Why express your attitude in such a manner? I know everyone has different communication styles, but for me, yelling is incredibly unproductive. It can weaken your self-esteem and make you feel absolutely worthless and like you are walking on egg-shells at work. You want your boss to be someone that talks to you with respect, and not someone who belittles you. This becomes especially damaging if you know that your boss is doing this in order to intimidate you. It may also make it hard for you to open up about any issues with the company, knowing that he/she may respond in such a disrespectful manner.

7. You Hate Your Coworkers

It’s awful when you have a bad boss, but bad coworkers are no picnic either. Make sure you enjoy the people that you work with and can hopefully learn from them. For a lot of individuals, they learn the best in team settings and having a strong support staff of coworkers around you can be vital. If you are starting out at a new job, or are new to an industry, having coworkers that you enjoy can make the whole process less intimidating. The slower days at work may also not seem so slow if you have great company. The Office has taught me that even selling paper can be delightful, provided your boss is Steve Carell.

6. There Is No Room For Advancement

It is great to have a job, but it is even better to be working towards a career. There are many jobs out there that do not offer any growth, and this can make you feel like you have no future ahead of you. It can be great to earn a pay-cheque, but ask yourself if there is more that you hope to achieve. Look around at your coworkers and see who has been there for a long time. Have they advanced? Are they happy with their decisions? A great boss will foster positive conversations about growth, an awful one will be dismissive and off-putting.

5. Your Boss Steals Your Credit

It is one thing to be a scapegoat when things go wrong. It is another annoyance entirely when your boss does nothing but comes in and steals the credit for your hard work. Make sure that wherever you are working, your efforts are being documented and appreciated. Your boss may have different responsibilities than you, but his job should not be to make you feel like you are the only one working. Too often on job sites, someone will get let go and their responsibilities will fall on you. If this is the case, feel free to know it is within your rights to ask for more compensation as a result of the increased workload. If your boss won’t acknowledge your efforts, you can hope that your hard work will get noticed by your boss’ boss. That can never happen, however, if your boss is constantly stealing credit for your contributions.

4. There Is A Lack Of Communication

Yelling is annoying, but it can be even worse if this yelling is a result of things just not getting communicated properly. A proper work environment encourages open communication throughout the workplace. Your boss should be someone that is accessible, but also be in charge of making sure that everyone is on the same page in regards to work being done. It can be no big deal if a mistake is made but caught early on. If that mistake goes on for a while because it is not properly monitored by the boss, it can be incredibly damaging. A lack of communication can also lead to friction between management and employees, and this can create a work environment where open discussions or creative input is not encouraged.

3. Your Workplace Is Not Flexible

Everyone has unexpected things come up in their life. You don’t always wake up saying “Oh boy, I hope I get food poisoning,” but how were you supposed to know that your plan to eat Taco Bell at 3am would backfire? When sickness or other life events prevent you from getting to work, you need to hope your coworkers and boss will be flexible and understanding that those events can happen. Nothing is worse than knowing you are genuinely sick, but need to go into work because nobody will believe you. This becomes all the more frustrating when you get there only to then be sent home because you “look awful.”

2. Your Boss Is Arrogant

I know that the boss often has a big shiny office, and sometimes a nice display of scotch beside his mahogany desk. No matter the size of the desk, an arrogant boss is absolutely unbearable to work for. They always think their way is the best, and when they get proven wrong they can get furious. A boss that is arrogant will often make employees feel very gun-shy about approaching with new ideas for fear of being shut down aggressively. As a result, the workplace morale may drop dramatically as employees realize that their future at this company may be bleak.

1. Your Boss Fires People Constantly

Now, do not get me wrong, sometimes people deserve to be fired. That being said, it may be a red flag if your boss is seemingly constantly letting people go and taking on new staff. You want your job to give you a level of security, and constant turnover can create an unbelievable level of stress. If your boss is temperamental, and you know he is arrogant, it may only be a matter of time before his wrath is directed at you. It may not be your fault, but that might not matter if he is the one with the power to say “You’re Fired!”