5 Signs It's Time For A Job Title—Not A Career—Change
Oftentimes, when we're in a rut, unhappy at work, or just overall dissatisfied in our professional lives, there are triggers. And many of us have very catastrophic thoughts in response to those triggers, from, "Every day is terrible at work, but I can't do any better than this," to "I'm totally stuck and need the money to pay my bills."
You might be two seconds from hitting send on that resignation notice you've had in your email drafts for months, ready to risk it all and just give up.
When you're feeling utterly annoyed, frustrated, disinterested, or just bored at work, here's a refreshing thing to consider: Your feelings might not have anything to do with your overall career choice. It's the actual job, sis. Here are a few signs you might need to rethink the job versus your career as a whole:
1. Your relationship with your direct manager or supervisor is simply not a good fit.
If you've tried all you can to perform, show up to work on time, and excel, it might not be the industry you're in but the manager you're directly reporting to. And sometimes, just like in love, a work relationship just might not be a good fit. While many aspects of our jobs are personal to us, leadership compatibility can have nothing to do with you or your manager and more to do with the fact that their style or way of doing things is just not conducive to you thriving in that position.
If one-on-ones and mediation meetings with your manager aren't helpful, but you love the company and the industry you're in, the best thing you can do in this case is ask for a transfer to another branch or location of your current company.
2. You're bored with the duties required for your job.
I experienced this as a copy editor. My mentor had advised that pursuing such a position was a great way to get my foot in the door, especially at a major global publication, and he was right. However, after a few years, my ambitions grew, and the role itself just became monotonous and isolating. I still loved journalism, the company I worked for, and the people I worked with, but I just couldn't shake those Sunday Scaries that would overcome my thoughts week after week.
I decided to volunteer to edit digital content at a time when digital media wasn't financially lucrative for publishers. Print content was king. It was experimental for many major publishers because they had not yet learned how to disrupt and monetize content on the Internet. It was the best decision of my life because I was a team member at the company who could lead once digital media really took off.
You don't have to necessarily quit altogether because you no longer have a passion for your job duties. Talk with your manager or HR department and apply or request to be placed in a different department that will really challenge you as a professional. If you can, volunteer for projects that allow you to work in other aspects of a business or for corporate volunteer opportunities that will put you on teams with upper-level executives.
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3. You've been in the same title position for more than three years.
Sis, advocate for yourself and ask for that promotion, especially if you're a mid-level professional managing anything (i.e., content, processes, people, or budgets). If there are clear success metrics attached to your contributions to the company, it's time to move on up. And be sure to ask for the salary that goes along with it. Y'all know these companies try to play us with title promotions, but no money behind the added duties and responsibilities.
I made the mistake of making lateral moves within a company for five years, so it didn't seem urgent for the company to promote me. It was as if I was content (and they certainly were content paying me the same for more and more work.) It wasn't until I requested a promotion that they knew my contributions and time had outgrown the title, and my experience reflected that of an associate, and I was indeed promoted with a pay raise.
If a promotion at your current company is just not an option, apply for higher positions at another company. Be sure you have the career receipts, reputation, and experience to do so, but don't shy away from a more advanced title within your industry. Again, you don't want to be stagnant in your career journey, so it's time to step it up and challenge yourself with a higher title and pay.
4. You have a new interest in a different aspect of your industry.
Say you started in children's education but now feel a pull to take your teaching skills to empower adults. Well, go for it. That's not necessarily a total change in career but a shift in the people you serve. If you're in fashion, focused solely on women, why not venture out into men's, children's, or another niche? If you're in tech marketing but find yourself to be a savvy inventor, project manager, legal expert, or process visionary, shift to jobs that light a fire under those skills.
Just because you have one job today that you love doesn't mean you can't shift to a different job within your industry (or even at the same company) that you love and are just as good at.
Also, growth in your career oftentimes means you lose interest in things you used to be super-excited about, and that's totally okay. Shift gears to apply a different skill set within the industry and keep those relationships you had before. You might even walk into a lucrative side hustle or business of your own.
5. Your mental and physical health is at stake.
I knew a woman who worked in emergency care in a role that really became draining for both her mental and physical health. Instead of quitting the medical industry altogether, she went into advocacy and administration, where she could work from an office, handle the more strategic parts of the job, and interact with people who made decisions on processes and protocols.
Sometimes, back-breaking, tedious, or high-stress jobs just have an expiration date, so if you can no longer take it, apply for a different role that fits your current mental and physical wellness goals. Some of us are called to very stressful, physically taxing jobs, and we love it, while others are meant to transition into other roles, and there's nothing wrong with that. You don't have to tough it out or feel guilty for wanting a role that affords you more ease. Make the best decision for you while contributing to the greater good in your industry.
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- Am I Outgrowing My Job? Signs It May Be Time To Move On Before It’s Too Late ›
- Unhappy At Work? 6 Signs It’s the Job, Not You, Sis ›
- 6 Signs It's Time For A Major Life Change ›
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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You've Never Seen Luke James In A Role Quite Like This
Over the years, we've watched Luke James play countless characters we'd deem sex symbols, movie stars, and even his complicated character in Lena Waithe's The Chi. For the first time in his career, the New Orleans-born actor has taken on a role where his signature good looks take a backseat as he transforms into Edmund in Them: The Scare—a mentally deranged character in the second installment of the horror anthology series that you won't be able to take your eyes off.
Trust us, Edmund will literally make you do a double take.
xoNecole sat down with Luke James to talk about his latest series and all the complexity surrounding it—from the challenges taking on this out-of-the-box role to the show's depiction of the perplexing history of the relationship between Black Americans and police. When describing the opportunity to bring Edmund's character to life, Luke was overjoyed to show the audience yet another level of his masterful acting talents.
"It was like bathing in the sun," he said. "I was like, thank you! Another opportunity for me to be great—for me to expand my territory. I'm just elated to be a part of it and to see myself in a different light, something I didn't think I could do." He continued, "There are parts of you that says, 'Go for it because this is what you do.' But then also that's why it's a challenge because you're like, 'um, I don't know if I'm as free as I need to be to be able to do this.' Little Marvin just created such a safe space for me to be able to do this, and I'm grateful for everything I've been able to do to lead to this."
Courtesy
Them: The Scare, like the first season, shines a light on the plight of Black Americans in the United States. This time, the story is taking place in the 1990s, at the height of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. While the series presents many underlying themes, one that stands out is Black people and the complicated relationship with the police. "For the audience, I think it sets the tone for the era that we're in and the amount of chaos that's in the air in Los Angeles and around the country from this heinous incident. And I say it just sets the tone of the anxiety and anxiousness that everybody is feeling in their own households."
James has been a longtime advocate against police brutality himself. He has even featured Elijah McClain, the 23-year-old Colorado man who died after being forcibly detained by officers, as his Instagram avatar for the past five years. So, as you can imagine, this script was close to his heart. "Elijah was a soft-loving oddball. Different than anyone but loving and a musical genius. He was just open and wanted to be loved and seen."
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Luke continued, "His life was taken from him. I resonate with his spirit and his words...through all the struggle and the pain he still found it in him to say, 'I love you and I forgive you.' And that's who we are as people—to our own detriment sometimes. He's someone I don't want people to forget. I have yet to remove his face from my world because I have yet to let go of his voice, let go of that being [because] there's so many people we have lost in our history that so often get forgotten."
He concluded, "I think that's the importance of such artwork that moves us to think and talk about it. Yes, it's entertaining. We get to come together and be spooked together. But then we come together and we think, 'Damn, Edmund needed someone to talk to. Edmund needed help... a lot [of] things could have been different. Edmund could have been saved.'
Check out the full interview below.
Luke James Talks Ditching Sex Symbol Status For "Them: The Scare", Elijah McClain, & Morewww.youtube.com
Featured image by Getty Images