ACCORDING to Gallup's most recent statistics, only 34 percent of working professionals are fully engaged and motivated at work. This means a huge 66 percent of professionals are, on some level, dissatisfied in their current job. While there could be many reasons for this (e.g. an exhausting commute) one of the main culprits is actually that people are simply in a job that isn't right for them. How do you know if this is the case? Here are 7 signs you're probably in the wrong job: You dread going to work This one is pretty obvious. If you're waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat or spending every night crying into a tub of Ben & Jerry's because you're dreading going to work the next day – I think it's safe to say you're in the wrong job. If you feel you are stuck in a job you hate here are some tips to get you unstuck. It doesn't come naturally to you I am not a natural sales person. Naturally, I'm good at helping people. And solving problems. So when I took a job in recruitment believing I would be helping people to discover it was really all about sales – boy did I struggle. I found myself working twice as hard and working twice as long just to achieve results my colleagues could accomplish in their sleep. If what you are doing doesn't come naturally to you, and you don't enjoy it anyway, then stop. Work with a career coach to discover your natural talents and find a job that will allow you to tap into those instead. You feel like you don't fit in I had one job where I felt as if I didn't fit in. And after a personality test showed there were 9 ‘A' type personalities on my team and only 2 ‘B's types (including me) – that confirmed it. Many companies and jobs generally attract a certain type of personality. If you don't feel as if you fit in, there is a chance your personality might be better suited to another job. Investigate careers where you might work with similar-minded people and explore those instead. You fear the old "So, what do you do?" question If every time you're asked "What do you do?" you feel a sense of shame or embarrassment, you're probably in the wrong job. People who love what they do are proud of their profession, and can talk about it all day long. And if hearing other people talking about how much they love their job makes you either turn into the incredible hulk inside, or reach for that tub of Ben and Jerry's again, it's most definitely time to reassess what you really want out of your career. You're stressed Stress is a natural part of life. Even people who love their jobs can experience stress from time to time. However, if you're stressed most of the time it could indicate you are in the wrong job. Often when we are asked to perform tasks that are not in line with our preferences, or we feel like we have to behave in a way that is not who we are naturally – this internal conflict can lead to feelings of stress, anxiety and confusion. Find a job where you feel you can be yourself, doing what you love, and watch the stress disappear. Here are some useful tips to help you manage your stress levels. You feel trapped by your salary You want out but genuinely believe that you won't get the same salary doing something else, somewhere else. That might well be true – for a while. Remember thought it won't always be like that. Do what you love and the money will come as they say. The key thing here is to ask, "What effect is staying in a job I hate having on me? If I stay in this job, who will I become? How will it affect my relationships? My health? My sanity?". What price tag can you really put on all of that? They could double your salary and you would still go to work kicking and screaming This is a no-brainer. If you imagine your boss offering to double your salary, and you still want to leave, this would indicate a severe lack of job satisfaction. Either you're bored or you're burnt out – either way – if doubling your salary isn't enough to motivate you to stay, it's time to move on. We spend 9 hours a day, 5 days a week, at work. Why spend that time doing something you don't enjoy? Life is short ladies and gentlemen. Don't do something you hate and count away the days. Do something you love and make every day count.
