How to know your job is a dead-end and its time to quit

Your job has become so routine that you spend your days counting down the minutes until you can leave. You can feel your skills, talents, and drive rusting. Worse, you don't see a way out because your employer doesn't seem to offer a clear path for growth and advancement — you're stuck in a dead-end job.

It's called a dead-end job for a reason: you're stuck there unless you consciously steer your work life in a different direction.

We all want jobs that offer more than just a paycheck. We want to make an impact. We want to feel valued. We want to be tested.

Most importantly, we want to know that our efforts today are contributing to a specific outcome. Maybe that means a pay raise, more responsibility, more fulfilling assignments, or all of the above.

If none of these things appear on the horizon, it may be time to reconsider your situation. Here are six indicators that you're in a dead end job:

1. Your suggestions are consistently dismissed or shelved.
Everyone is free to disagree with you. However, if your boss rejects every suggestion you make to improve the way you or the team works, you may be stuck in a job with no opportunities for advancement and heading down a dead end street.

2. Your employer does not value the position you have been assigned.
If your company's leadership does not value the type of work you do, they are unlikely to notice that you are doing an excellent job. It is demotivating to believe that your manager does not value your skills and talents. Simply put, everyone needs a pat on the back now and then. But there's more at stake here.

3. Your boss is unable to articulate a clear career path for you.
There is no more obvious and important advocate than your manager if you want to advance at your current company. If they can't think of any ways for you to advance at the company, that's not a good sign. And if they completely avoid the subject, that could be an even worse sign.

4. The company's expansion has slowed.
When a company's revenues stagnate, there are usually fewer opportunities for employees to advance in their careers. If your company has been declining for more than a couple of years, it may be time to broaden your horizons.

5. Your motivation is dwindling.
At work, we all experience lulls. Perhaps once-difficult tasks have become routine. Perhaps you're exhausted for reasons unrelated to your job. But then something happens — a fun new assignment, a break in the weather — and your mojo returns. However, if your motivation has been declining month after month despite your best efforts to improve things, it may be time to polish that resume.

6. Your manager assigns you work that they do not want to do.
Your boss may assign you tasks and express gratitude for everything you do. However, be wary if they only assign you tasks that they do not want to do. It could imply that they only see you as an assistant rather than someone with potential. Or maybe you're doing such a good job that they're hesitant to help you advance beyond your current position.

Questions to consider before throwing in the towel

If you notice all of these indicators, it may be time to make a change. But, as they say, you are wherever you go. Before you go through the trouble of looking for a new job, make sure the issue isn't with you. Before you hit the road, consider the following questions:

• Have I communicated my career objectives to my manager clearly?
• Have I demonstrated my willingness and ability to take on new roles and responsibilities?
• Is my company providing training that I am not taking advantage of?
• Have I looked for ways to expand my current role by identifying unmet organizational needs?
• Is there any other roles with my current employer that could help me learn new skills and address new challenges if there are few opportunities for advancement in my current role?

What to do when you know it's time to move on OK, so you've pondered the preceding questions and believe it's probably time to leave your current job. But, before you look for similar work elsewhere, consider the following two questions:

Would I really want a new job if my employer offered me a promotion?
If not, is there another job in the company that interests me?
If the answer to both of these questions is "No!" you may need to do more than just look for a better version of your current job. You might require a career makeover. Consider where there is consistent and sustained job growth when selecting a new field or industry.

If you do decide to change careers, you can often improve your chances of success by starting with part-time jobs, temporary work, or project and consulting opportunities.

Start looking for a new job if you enjoy your current job but want a fresh start with a new boss and company. In today's labor market, job seekers with in-demand skills are in control. So take the initiative and start the process. There's no reason to stay in a dead-end job if you don't have a plan to improve your situation.