Five signs it's time to quit your job

As the economy improves, more Americans feel confident to look for work elsewhere. Here are five signs it's time for you to look for a new job.

Job seekers sign in before meeting prospective employers during a career fair at a hotel in Dallas in January. If your current job isn't aligned with your long-term career goals, it may be time to move on.

LM Otero/AP/File

April 7, 2014

Feeling like Sisyphus, the character  in Greek mythology damned to roll the same rock up a hill for all eternity — but for you that rock is your job? Maybe it’s time to put it down.

More Americans are leaving their jobs than since the credit crisis ground the economy to a halt in 2008.

After holding onto their employer by their fingertips after waves of layoffs, more employees feel confident to let go and look for work elsewhere.

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Here are NerdWallet’s top 5 signs that its time to look for that new job.

You Are Bored. If the thrill is gone, it’s time to look for new thrills. Hard-working executives toil their way to the top, but get there and think, “Is this all there is?,” Dr. Steven Berglas once told me. Dr. Berglas is an executive coach and management consultant who spent 25 years on the faculty of Harvard Medical School’s Department of Psychiatry. “You have money, power and prestige . . . you look like you’re on top of the world, but you feel like you’re marking time.”

Your Job is Mismatched with Your Goals. Where do you professionally and personally want to be in five years? Will your current position get you there? “If not, it’s time review your career path,” writes Lindsay Broder, The Occupreneur Coach. “Perhaps you can seek out a new position within your current organization that better aligns with your long-term prospects. Consider searching your firm’s jobs board or having a conversation with your boss or human resources manager about other positions.” If you can’t find what you want there, move elsewhere.

Your Friends/Family are Telling You to Leave.  Sometimes, you need the feedback of others to point out the obvious. “It’s the topic that keeps them up at night thinking, what should I do?” Teri Hockett, chief executive of career site What’s For Work?, tells Forbes. “They consult with friends and family, seeking advice, to validate their reasoning. They know the answer, which always involves change, but the difficult part is making the change itself.”

Your Company is Telling You to Leave. Nobody likes to quit, but your boss or firm may be doing you a long-term favor by dropping hints the two of you should break up. “If you’re suddenly getting a slew of critical feedback in emails or memos, it’s a sign your job could be in jeopardy,” writes Alison Green, co-author of “Managing to Change the World.”

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If you’re on a formal Performance Improvement Plan, that’s a big clue it’s time to move on. “In theory, if you meet the terms of the plan, you’ll preserve your job and be able to move forward,” Green says. “But in practice, by the time you’re on one, it’s often because things aren’t working out and aren’t likely to.

You Aren’t Making Enough Cash. Classic sign it’s time to go – that your skills can make more money elsewhere. But there are factors that need to be considered: How much is the cost of the move, and is it tax deductible? Use the NerdWallet cost of living calculator to compare the cost of living in two cities. And check out NerdWallet’s Best Cities for Job Seekers to know where your best options lie.