Are you bored at your job? Apathetic? Stuck in a rut? Combine these feelings with a sagging job market and you have a recipe for an unenthusiastic worker.
If that's how you feel at work, then it's time for a reality check, says Sheryl Boswell, director of marketing at Monster.ca. "It's not that you need to leave your current job, but you can be in a rut in your current career … and in need of a career wake-up call."
To add some humour to the situation, Monster.ca created a video with Brian Baumgartner, who portrays the dull accountant on television's The Office, which ended its long-running series last week. In it, he plays a practical joke on bored office workers to give them a wake-up career call.
"This whole career wake-up call doesn't mean you need to leave your company or your job," Ms. Boswell said. "I think people become complacent [and have] the feeling that there's nothing else out there or nothing else within their company."
To help you do some soul searching to discover if you are seriously unhappy at work, Monster.ca also offers a list of 10 signs that you may need to find a new job or role:
1. You're passed over for a promotion.
You need to find out why. That answer will tell you what you need to know.
2. You don't get along with your boss.
This can be challenging, and often there's little chance of changing the chemistry.
3. You're depressed about work when you aren't there.
Many people feel they're in a grind and dread Sunday night "knowing what's coming Monday morning," Ms. Boswell said. That's not a good sign.
4. The company is bought.
If you suspect the new owner is set on layoffs, it's time to start looking.
5. The company has had rounds of layoffs.
"Workers have been feeling that they've been taken advantage of, there have been layoffs and suddenly their workload has become that much more heavy. Now is the time – without being blatantly insubordinate – to take control," Ms. Boswell said.
6. People have stopped talking to you.
If you're excluded from meetings and decisions, it might be time to find a new role.
7. You don't feel challenged.
This may mean you need to look for a new role in your company or something entirely different .
8. Your boss or co-workers undermine your work.
If your work isn't valued or your decisions are overturned, that's a problem.
9. Your stress has become unmanageable.
Many people feel they have nowhere to turn because of the economy, but there are opportunities out there, Ms. Boswell said.
10. You have nightmares about your job.
Dreams, sure, but nightmares are a sign of something more.