Written By: Adrianne Bibby, FlexJobs Staff Writer

How do you know when it’s time to find a new job? You may be satisfied for the moment with your current position—or maybe not. Either way, some career advisors say you should always be on the lookout for your next great opportunity. One question to ask might be: what’s the best next step in my career?

A host of factors may enter into your thinking when you’re trying to decide if it’s time for a new job, and there’s no end of career advice related to the topic. Some job seekers may be focused solely on their career path; others may be weighing work-life integration issues; still others may find themselves anywhere on that spectrum, with career at one end and family and personal life at the other.

Often, deciding you’re ready for a new job is a matter of timing. Or it could be a question of simply pushing through a rocky period in your job or career, and eventually regaining a sense of satisfaction with your current job. Whatever the case for you, it’s worth considering a few factors if you’re deciding whether to quit your job and launch a new job search.

Here are five signs it’s time to find a new job:

1. You’re at the point of “quit or be fired.”

If your thoughts at the beginning of your workday swirl around whether you should quit, or worries about being let go, that’s a pretty sure sign that you might want to get a serious job search underway.

Do your best to avoid doing anything rash, like quitting before you have clear job search strategies in mind. If you’re really at the point where you may be out the door, but not quite yet, there’s no better time than now to get clear about your life and work priorities.

2. You’ve reached a career dead end. 

You may have taken all the steps you can to avoid career burnout, but you’re still at a career crossroads, and may need a wholesale re-boot to get things moving in the right direction.

Lack of opportunity for career advancement or training to enhance your professional skills may be another sign that it’s time to think of moving on.

3. The pay isn’t going to get any better.

Perhaps you’ve asked for a raise a time or three, and have been put off, or told directly that a pay increase isn’t in the cards. If you’ve truly tried to negotiate higher pay and hit a wall, that’s a pretty clear indication that it may be time to search for a new job.

Scope out the pay for your industry, specific job categories, and the amount you’re seeking to earn, and set the bar from there.

4. There’s little or no work flexibility.

Lots of job seekers have concluded that work flexibility is non-negotiable if they want to find that right mix of work-life balance. Working parents, caregivers, or people who simply want to escape the bonds of the traditional work schedule are increasingly opting for flexible jobs, including work-from-home options, part-time schedules, compressed workweeks, job sharing, and other forms of flexibility.

5. Job satisfaction is approaching rock bottom.

Are you always eyeing “greener pastures”? You may feel under-appreciated because of a lack of positive feedback, a subpar work environment, or perhaps there’s little support from supervisors or colleagues.

Job satisfaction is central to career happiness and productivity, and one of the best ways to achieve both is through work that will help to improve love, life, health, and happiness.

Are you ready to find your next career move? If so, contact Nextaff today. Improving your future is our business!

Recommended For You:

• 9 New Year’s Resolutions for Job Seekers
• 5 Tips for Searching for that Dream Job While Working Full Time
• How to Avoid Job Burnout

Who is NEXTAFF? We are locally owned and operated staffing offices devoted to our communities, clients, and candidates throughout the United States. For more job tips and ideas, contact us. We are always hiring, so if you or someone you know is looking for work, check out our job board below and apply today! We are able to service all your staffing agency needs with local staffing offices in Sacramento-CA, Sonoma County-CA, Des Moines-IA, Raleigh-NC, Shawnee-KS, Topeka-KS, Detroit-MI, Kansas City-MO, Gulf Coast-MS, Phoenix-AZ, Miami-FL, Harrisburg-PA, Jackson-TN, Beaverton-OR, Pittsburgh-PA, North Dallas-TX, and Denver-CO.

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