Stuck in the Job Change Cycle?
Are you stuck in a cycle of repeated job change? How would you even know? If you’ve ever thought “This job sucks, I need something new!” and then promptly dusted off your resume (which might not have too much dust on it) and secured a shiny new job, only to be dissatisfied again, chances are good you’re stuck in the job change cycle.
At its simplest, the Job Change Cycle is three phases. This cycle happens especially when it’s NOT about a natural job progression or leveling up.
Being in the cycle looks something like this:
Happy at work
Irritated at work
Get a new job
Then, go back to phase one and repeat until you retire. Wait, what?
Let’s dive deeper into the Job Change Cycle to figure out what could be going on for you.
Stage 1: Happy at Work
This is often when you’re new to a role. “This is great!” you think. “I love this environment! It’s so energizing to be in a new place!” You love the team, location, schedule, the work you’re doing, or maybe all of the above.
After a while, the shine wears off and you get used to it. And then you start getting annoyed.
Stage 2: Irritated at Work
You think, “This isn’t so great anymore. Maybe I should look for something else.” You feel disillusioned. You get annoyed by your coworkers. The work doesn’t seem meaningful anymore. You’re not getting paid enough.
You wish you could find a new position where you’d really be happy, where you could feel appreciated, where your values were in line with the company’s mission. You think about looking elsewhere.
Stage 3: Find a New Job
So, you reach your limit and you start Googling open positions and setting up LinkedIn alerts. If you’re lucky, maybe there’s an internal position you could be promoted to. Let the job hopping begin!
You find a job ad that looks exciting. You think, “OH! Look at this job! It’s great! I want it! My life will be SO MUCH BETTER in THAT job! I’ll finally be happy once I can work at a company like THAT.”
You apply, interview, and if all goes well, you land in the new position.
You heave a sigh of relief and think, “OH my gosh! This is incredible! I’m so glad I made this change! Life is SO much better now!”
Then, you go back to Stage 1 and start all over again.
But… is that really all there is?
Are you doomed to an endless circle of job-hopping until you retire? If you’ve gone around that circle a few times you probably don’t enjoy it anymore. You may feel like the perfect job doesn’t exist. Instead of changing jobs you might even stay stuck in a position you hate because it just doesn’t feel worth the energy to look for something else.
Let me remind you, that there are so many possibilities open to you. The idea that there are only two crappy choices available is a big fat lie. It’s possible to make small changes that make a positive impact.
If you’ve gone through the job change cycle a few times already and have noticed the pattern, it might be time to step out of that old loop.
How? By looking inward instead of outward.
A New Job Can’t Fix Your Unhappiness
If changing jobs hasn’t made you any happier, it might be time to stop hoping that an outward change will fix your inner discomfort. Especially if you’ve been through the cycle a few times.
Spend some time looking at your current situation. Figure out what is working for you and what isn’t in your current role. Do some reflecting on past positions too.
Ask yourself questions like this:
What kind of work really felt great?
When did time fly by?
Who were the people I loved working with?
Rather not dig through questions like these on your own? I'm a Career Coach who can guide you through the questions so you can get to the answers that are right for you. Click here to have an initial conversation about how I can support you.
Pause that cycle. Question the discomfort you're feeling at work. Isn't it time to step out of the Job Change Cycle and into the work that you dream of?