3 Glaring Signs You’re on the Wrong Career Path

Professionals often experience common symptoms when they’re on the wrong career path.

Check out the list below to see if you’re on the wrong career path.

Sign Number 1: Physical Symptoms

Your body knows what you like and dislike at a deep level. When you repeatedly put yourself in a situation that you don’t actually like, your body will have something to say about it! 

This can take the form of general sensations, like a sinking feeling in your gut when you enter the building, tightness in your throat during meetings, or overall fatigue as you sit down to work. 

This can also manifest as weight gain, chronic pain, or many other physical problems.

If you notice physical signals that seem to be tied to your work experience, take note. Your body is trying to get your attention to let you know that something is off.

Sign Number 2: Lack of Interest

Ideally your work will be something that is energy generative for you. That means that you’re naturally engaged in the work at hand and usually eager to dig in.

A feeling of boredom or lack of interest in your work indicates that you are out of sync with the things you actually care about. This might show up as watching the clock, living for your lunch break, or checking celebrity gossip sites in the background to stay awake.

Another big indicator of a lack of interest in your work actually involves surveying your time off work. Do you enjoy talking about what you do? Or do you want to stay as far away from it as possible? 

You guessed it, if you wouldn’t touch a work topic with a ten-foot pole during your free time, chances are you aren’t very interested in it.

Sign Number 3: Moodiness

We all experience a range of emotions as humans, but professionals who are unhappy at work often report that this unhappiness has a tendency to spread beyond work.

Are you often grumpy, stressed, or disheartened as you head into work or as you come home from work? Do you notice you are less patient with your loved ones? Are you so drained from work that you have limited energy for your health, relationships, or extracurriculars?

We spend a lot of time at work, so when we’re in a job that doesn’t suit us, we really feel it. The underlying cause may be that the environment, the set of tasks, the leadership, or the overall mission is off, but persistent negative emotions around our work experience are something to pay attention to as a sign that a change may be in order.

If you’ve been nodding your head as you’ve read this list, your current job or career path is not a fit for you. 

Noticing this is a step towards being able to resolve it. 

For support with gaining clarity around what would be a good career fit for you, apply for one of signature Career CLARITY coaching programs today! And get clarity on the right career path for you.