A psychologist has revealed a simple exercise to help determine whether or not it’s time to leave your job or not, and it’s just five words you need to look out for
If you’re torn on whether it’s time for pastures new, there are some key words to look out for to make the decision easier.
With the new year making people want to shake up their lives, and potentially look for a new job, it can be hard to know whether handing your notice in or not is the right idea.
If you feel torn, psychologist Dr George Sik revealed there are just five words to look out for to help make your mind up and know if you are placed in the right job or not. Dr Sik is a workplace psychometric expert, and said it’s all about personal values when it comes to job satisfaction and most of the time people are happier at work when their values are being fulfilled.
He shared that if your top five, or even four values are being met, you will be happy in the role, but if it’s any lower, that’s when people start to become unhappy and look to move on. So, finding out what your five words (or values) are is “really simple” according to the pro.
The expert told the Metro that you should start by thinking about a job you felt happiest in, and write down the five things that you enjoyed most in that role such as creativity, freedom, ethics, security, autonomy, stability and pay. Once you have decided, you should then see how many are being fulfilled in your current job.
This exercise is an example of ‘psychometric testing’, which Dr Sik said is great because there are ‘no wrong answers’. He said: “It’s about trying to apply meaning or measurability to things that often can’t be explained – like job satisfaction beyond salary and job title. It is key to think about the job you were happiest in. Or moments in a job where you were most satisfied.
“Answering the above will reveal patterns in your career so far – which can then pull out characteristics. You can also do this by looking at activities you find exciting in your role – meetings (collaboration) vs less meetings (autonomy).”
He said if you find yourself thinking negative words about your current job, such as “bored”, “uninspired”, “chaotic”, “dramatic”, “draining” or even “repetitive” it’s time to move on. Similarly, if you find yourself saying “at least” or “I can wait/hold out…” it’s also a bad sign.
Do you have a story to share? Email niamh.kirk@reachplc.com
