Will Changing Jobs Really Make You Happy?

Whether there is a concrete job opportunity in front of you or not, sometimes it seems like happiness will follow if you can just get out of your current job.

However, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, as the saying goes, and sometimes the thought of working another job is much, much better than the reality.

Sometimes changing jobs is as simple as getting the higher pay rate or promotion you think you deserve but haven’t gotten. However, there’s more to happiness than a bigger paycheck or fancy job title. For lasting and comprehensive happiness, your job should also be fulfilling on a day-to-day basis.

It’s important to truly consider the risk involved in a job change and if taking that risk has the potential to make you a lot happier. If you are considering changing jobs to get to a happier place in life, consider the following things about your current job.

Are you being challenged?

While having a mindless job can be useful for getting your foot in the door at a particular company, or making a few extra bucks on the side, you shouldn’t be in a job that isn’t mentally challenging for a long period of time.

If you aren’t learning and developing as a professional, you’ll start to feel stuck, which leads to unhappiness. Since you’re going to spend such a big part of your life working, you ought to do work that makes you grow.

A job that challenges you can be exciting when you overcome those challenges, and your achievements will boost your confidence. Both the excitement of “winning” and the confidence that comes with it will result in job happiness and increased self-esteem.

Is the work inspiring?

People undervalue inspiration as a helpful, even crucial, emotion. Being inspired about something means you find it interesting. When we don’t find parts of a job that inspire us, we become bored and being bored at work is a sign you should go looking for a new job.

A job should make you eager to both learn more and find opportunities to apply knowledge. If you can find a job with that quality, you’ll never have trouble finding the motivation to get out of bed in the morning.

Are you hopeful about the future?

Something else that often gets overlooked is the importance of anticipation – whether that’s looking forward to an exotic vacation or a better job situation.

If you are starting to lose hope that your current job is going to improve or lead to a promotion to a better situation, you need to start considering your options. Hope for a better tomorrow drives us all, and that means you should avoid hopeless situations at all costs.

At Career Concepts, we are always helping people who are frustrated with their current job situation move on to another opportunity. Check out what we have available if you’re looking to make a career change.