How to Know When It’s Time to Make a Career Move
Not every career change starts with a dramatic event or a breaking point.
Sometimes, it begins quietly — a small but persistent thought:
“I’m capable of more than this.”
The challenge is recognising the signs early, before frustration turns into burnout, disengagement, or even resentment.
Here are a few signals that it might be time to start exploring what’s next, while you still have the energy, confidence, and clarity to make a smart move:
You’re learning less, coasting more.
At the beginning, every day brought new challenges — new systems to master, problems to solve, and skills to sharpen. But now? You could do the job in your sleep.
Routine is fine for a while, but a career built on autopilot is a career that’s standing still. When there’s nothing left to stretch you, your growth slows, and so does your motivation.
Ask yourself: When was the last time you learned something in your role that genuinely excited you?
You’re growing, but the role isn’t.
You’ve taken courses, built new capabilities, and expanded your network. Your ambitions have evolved, but your role hasn’t kept pace. The scope, the responsibilities, and even the challenges have stayed the same.
When your professional growth outpaces the opportunities available to you, frustration can set in.
Ask yourself: Would you be satisfied if your job stayed exactly as it is for the next 2 – 3 years?
You catch yourself saying, “It’s fine.”
“It’s fine” sounds harmless, but over time, it can be the biggest red flag. Fine is not the same as fulfilled.
When your day-to-day feels tolerable but uninspiring, you risk drifting into a state where passion fades and performance plateaus. Eventually, “fine” becomes fatigue, and that’s when disengagement sets in.
Ask yourself: Are you settling for comfort when you could be pursuing purpose?
You feel undervalued or invisible.
You’re doing the work. You’re delivering results. But you’re not being recognised, rewarded, or given a seat at the table.
Over time, that disconnect between effort and acknowledgment erodes motivation. Everyone wants to feel seen, not just for what they do, but for how they contribute.
Ask yourself: Is the lack of recognition situational or systemic?
You’ve outgrown the environment.
Sometimes the problem isn’t the work — it’s the environment around it.
Maybe the leadership has shifted direction. Maybe the culture no longer reflects your values. Or maybe the organisation has grown (or shrunk) in ways that make it unrecognisable from when you joined.
A role in the wrong environment can feel like the wrong role entirely.
Ask yourself: Would the same job in a different organisation feel energising again?
The Bottom Line
If any of these points resonate, it’s not necessarily a sign to hand in your notice tomorrow, but it is a sign to start paying attention.
Career moves made from a place of clarity, not crisis, are often the most successful.
Next steps:
Start having exploratory conversations
Research the market
Revisit your career goals and priorities
You owe it to yourself to stay curious, not just loyal.