Knowing when to make a career move can be very difficult. You may find yourself in a really challenging position that tests the limits of your skills. You might still be new and getting used to a different way of doing things. And sometimes, a job that seems like a bad fit on the surface is simply a stepping-stone to better things. Or it could be that your job is just a bad job, and moving on is the best choice for your career. Here are some red flags that indicate it's time for a change.

When you're undervalued

Being undervalued manifests itself in a number of ways. You might be underpaid for the type of work and your particular skill set, you might be required to perform tasks far beneath the level of expertise you were hired for or you might be passed over for a promotion in lieu of a candidate with less aptitude. If your contributions are undervalued, it's time to consider a different employer. Exercise caution, though; you may not have given your employer reason to value your skills. If you're relatively new to the company or haven't taken the initiative on projects, your employer might not realize you have abilities far beyond what you've been able to demonstrate. Make sure you’ve provided ample examples of your valuable competence to your employer before you decide to pursue making a move.

When the culture is untrustworthy

If your superiors aren't transparent or if they make promises that frequently get broken, it's time to move. If you can't trust your boss, it will be hard to do your job effectively, not to mention advance reliably within the company. Along the same lines, you should never be asked to do anything in your job that compromises your ethics or is illegal. If your boss continues to pressure you after you politely decline, you should begin a new job search in order to prevent such practices from being traced back to you later.

When you've gotten off track

Sometimes you drift away from your desired career path. Promotions you thought were vertical were actually lateral moves. Maybe the company's culture has changed since you started. For whatever reason, you might end up in a place where you need to move in order to achieve your goals. Sometimes that means getting back on track in your current company, but sometimes it means changing companies altogether.

Keep an eye out for these red flags and remember the golden rule of changing jobs: if you're not sure why you are where you are, it's time to move.

Now is the time for a career change. Visit our Career Portal to begin your search today.

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