8 Clear Signs It’s Time for a Career Change

Hi there, and welcome to the podcast. Have you noticed that there is a lot of career movement and reflection happening right now? It seems everywhere on LinkedIn, it’s happening in the conversations with my clients. So many people are taking a look at their careers right now and considering if they want to start making a plan to change jobs in the new year. It’s a new season It’s a time for reflection. And I know with the bonuses coming in about six months, you might also be wondering if now is the time to make a game plan. So you can be ready to make a move as soon as that big payday hits, right? And there have also continued to be layoffs and reorgs in the industry this year. So maybe that has you looking for a new role or wondering if you still want to work for a company that is rapidly changing, and maybe it’s not a good fit for you anymore. Maybe there’s something better out there for you. If you’re thinking about whether it’s time for a change or you’ve been wondering if you should stick it out because you work so hard to get where you are, then you’re in the right place with this episode.

In today’s episode, I’m making it crystal clear for you. I am breaking down eight signs that show it’s time for a career change. If you recognize yourself in one of these and many of these, you will know for sure by the end whether it’s time to make a move and start prioritizing yourself and your future. Because life is too short to be in a career that drains you or doesn’t allow you to reach your potential and make the impact that you want to. All right, let’s get into it. Sign number one, that you’re ready for a career change. You’re constantly stressed and tired after work. You come home drained, not just physically tired, but mentally and emotionally spent. You find yourself complaining to your partner or friends about work on the regular, and it’s really starting to bleed into your personal life. Maybe it’s that one annoying coworker or a situation that keeps repeating itself and driving you off the wall. And when you’re at work, you’re still thinking about it. When you’re not at work, you’re still thinking about it. You’re just stressed and frustrated by the day-to-day or that certain person on the regular.

I remember being in this space where the mental exhaustion of the stress, it just was so irritating and it would get to be a lot and it would distract me from my family. I would get so irritated. And it’s not that I was complaining about work at home. It’s more like I was just trying to zone out almost. Let’s watch a show. Let’s have some wine. Let’s hang out. My kids would want to play a game and I would play the game, but I would just still be thinking about work in the background sometimes. And that really bothered me because I really wanted to be present with my family and they deserved that from me. I wanted that for them. I wanted that for me. And work was just consuming me. And if work is consuming you this much, it’s really a red flag because we all have tough days. But when it’s every day or consistently week to week, it’s time to address this issue. If your job is consistently infringing on your personal life and you’re finding it hard to strike a balance, or if there’s a lack of support for flexibility like remote work or flexible hours, this could be a sign that you need a change.

Burnout in pharma is real, and it’s not always because of the hours you’re actually working. It can be from the emotional and psychological toll that it takes, too. Sign number two is you dread going to work. When that alarm goes off, you’re hitting snooze, not because you’re tired, not because you need more sleep, although I feel like we could all always use more sleep, but because you just cannot to weather work today. You just can’t. It’s like this mug I have at home. It says not today, Satan. You get yourself daydreaming about taking the day off or hoping for a random snowstorm in the middle of July just So you don’t have to go in. Does this sound familiar? If you are constantly counting down the days until your next holiday, it’s a major sign that you’re not where you need to be. You work too hard to get where you are to dread your career. You deserve to have a role that energizes that you actually look forward to going to. The dread can come from a lot of different things and a lot of different signs that I’m talking about today. One problem my clients have run into is repeatedly facing these subtle or not-so-subtle microaggressions or comments about your capabilities, your leadership style, or even being passed over for promotion in favor of your male colleagues.

And it’s not just frustrating. It can actually be a major sign that your current company’s culture isn’t aligned with your values or growth and it’s going to contribute to that dead-end feeling and that dread that you have. You can be telling yourself, It’s not that bad, it’s normal. But seriously, why gaslight yourself? There’s enough of that in our world. You don’t need to do that to yourself. Your feelings are valid and if something doesn’t sit right with you, it’s not automatically your fault. It’s not your problem in the way that you’re interpreting it all the time. Now, I spent years telling myself to settle that I was the problem and that I should be grateful in my life. And yes, I definitely have things to be grateful for. We all do, for sure. But that isn’t like a blanket or dismissal of every other part of your experience at work or at home. You can be grateful for things and they cannot be right for you. If something isn’t sitting right with you, it’s time to address it. Sign number three is you don’t feel valued. Now, this one hits hard. You’re working hard, but it feels like no one is really noticing.

You might feel like your contributions don’t matter like you’re just another cog in the machine. If you find yourself in constant battles to get recognition or show your value, it’s draining and it can leave you feeling stuck, like you make a mistake, like maybe you have some regret over the decisions that you’ve made. And it’s exhausting trying to convince leadership or your team that your work matters. When you’re feeling undervalued, it’s not just frustrating. It’s a clear sign that it may be time to move on. And if you’re in a leadership role or maybe aspiring to a higher level of leadership, and you’re often the only woman in the room, it can also feel isolating. In male-dominated leadership teams, your voice might not be heard or your ideas may be overlooked. And in pharma and biotech companies, they often pride themselves on having a serious elite or expert culture. But if you feel like you’re constantly having to tone down your personality or passions to fit in and feel valued, That is draining. Women in this space often feel pressure to conform to certain leadership or communication styles. And because it’s male-dominated in the leadership space, what you see often doesn’t represent you.

If you find yourself constantly altering who you are just to succeed, it’s a huge red flag that the culture isn’t allowing you to thrive authentically. You either need to address the culture or build the skills to stand out authentically as a leader where you are. But sitting back and being quiet, making yourself smaller, isn’t the answer. Now, sign number 4 is you’re no longer giving 100 %. Remember when you first started your job and you were excited, motivated, ready to take on the world, ready to solve problems, full of ideas, and ready to contribute? Now you’re just coasting. You’ve gone from giving 110 % to doing the bare minimum just to get through the day. Sure, your minimum is probably still better than most, but it’s not what you’re capable of, and you know that. This shift from fully engaged to just getting by is a massive sign that something is not right. When you don’t care anymore, when you don’t want to give your company your best ideas, when you’re disengaging and going through the motions, it’s time for a change. You might also find yourself saying yes to everything. This is another way to know if this is you.

You used to fight for the things that mattered, for those process improvements, but now you’re just going with the flow. It’s easier to say yes and not rock the boat. Maybe you’ve stopped pushing back because you’re just too tired or you feel like no one listens to you anyway. Whatever the reason, if you’ve become a yes person, when you used to care deeply and be the When you’re the one advocating for changes and improvements, it’s a big indicator that you’ve become disengaged and it’s time for a change. Sign number 5 is you spend your days on social media or watching the clock. You know that feeling When you just are trying to get through the day, you might be scrolling through Instagram, checking LinkedIn, waiting for 5:00 PM like it’s your lifeline. Your work doesn’t challenge you, so you’re filling the time with distractions. You live for vacations and time off, but it never feels like enough. It feels like your real life is outside of work and your work is like an obligation you have to force yourself to get through. If this is you, it’s a signal that your job isn’t fulfilling you anymore.

You don’t need to wait it out or wait for the market to change to figure out your fulfilling next best role and start making progress toward getting it. Life is too short to be watching the clock and wanting time to pass faster. Time is the one resource we have that we can’t get more of. All right. Sign number 6. Your job doesn’t align with your skills or interests. Maybe you’ve outgrown your role. At one point, it was a great fit, but now you’re feeling underutilized or bored. This happens a lot in pharma and biotech. Companies often hire highly qualified people but end up giving them work that doesn’t match their skills. It’s an industry that prides itself on having the best talent, and advanced education, but then gets them stuck in smaller-scoped roles. Over time, that’s going to lead to frustration and boredom. And it’s okay that you’ve outgrown your role. It doesn’t mean that you should say. I had a client once who was so frustrated that she had to pipette all day and do routine tasks that she felt she didn’t even need to have her degree to be able to do. But there she was with an advanced degree and being told that that’s what she needed to do, that there wasn’t another role for her.

And guess what? She ended up moving on. If you know you’re capable of so much more, but you aren’t being challenged or given opportunities to grow beyond your role, it’s a clear sign it’s time for a change. And this leads me to the next one. Sign number seven, lack of support for career growth and development. Now, pharma and biotech are industries where continued learning and development are important. And I think even more accessible, I think that’s a positive than other industries, especially if you consider our conference culture. Conferences are huge in this industry. However, women sometimes face unique challenges, such as being steered into admin tasks rather than scientific or other leadership roles or not being offered the same training, mentorship, or development opportunities as male counterparts, or in some cases, even given required leadership training for women that men don’t receive. If you’re hitting a glass ceiling and you aren’t getting the support you need for your advancement, it’s a sign that it might be time to explore some new paths. I’ve had clients get stuck because their bosses don’t want them to move on because they’re too valuable to their boss. It’s like a selfish move.

Or have situations where they’re given less visible opportunities, which then keeps them stuck. When they ask for more opportunities, they’re denied. If this is your situation, you can definitely build the skills to work around this, but it also might mean that it’s time to move on. Because in this industry, the projects you work on can definitely impact your career trajectory. If you’re working on high-stakes drug launches, regulatory submissions, and highly visible projects that are important to the company, you’re going to have more visibility. But if you’re constantly sidelined or excluded from these projects while others are giving those opportunities, that’s a red flag. If you’re being passed over despite your skills and ambition, it’s worth assessing if your current organization is truly the best place for your growth. Now, sign number eight is you stay because it’s a good job, because of the company name. If you’re convincing yourself to stay because of things like salary, benefits, the comfort of knowing what to expect, or maybe the fear of the unknown, which is, again, choosing the comfort, or maybe because your company is considered prestigious like there’s a big name behind it. That’s not our reason to stay in a job you don’t love.

I was there too. I totally get it. I worked for a top global pharma company. I had a job where I literally wrote my own job description, and I still felt like something wasn’t quite right. I wanted to make a bigger difference. I didn’t want to settle, and it felt like I was. It felt like I was settling. But because my job and company were so great, and because they were so great at allowing me to grow, and allowing me to write my own job description, I tried to convince myself to get it. Maybe you’re telling yourself that it’s not that bad. But let me tell you, just because something is comfortable doesn’t mean it’s right for you. If you’ve got that little voice in the back of your mind that’s telling you that there’s something more out there for you, please listen to it. I understand when you have the career, the benefits, the status that by all accounts, and maybe even other people are telling you that you should be happy, that they wish they could work where you work. But they’re not you. You feel like there’s something bigger for you, something better, more you could be doing.

There is. That feeling is real and it’s there for a reason. That is your intuition. That is the real, authentic you trying to get you to listen. There is so much social conditioning in our lives. We are hit with messages from our caretakers, loved ones, TV bosses, career experiences on what we should do, who we should be, what success really looks like, what is enough money, what is the right title, how often should we get promoted? But when what you have is good on paper, when you did all the right things and you’re still not happy, when you’re still thinking something is off, that is you, Cheetah. That is your authentic self, the real you, trying to break out what you’ve been doing for something better, something different, something more. Listen to it. I listened to it and I was able to build my own business where I help women like you every day. My dream. And I didn’t know that this was what it was until I discovered what I wanted to do. I had the courage to figure out the answer to that question, and it allowed me to create my dream career.

My clients experience this, too. They have the good job, the prestigious company, but they want something different, and they take the leap with courage, not confidence, courage, to figure out what it is that they want and go after it. You will never regret finding your answer. You will likely regret never knowing what was really possible for you, if you ever could have been happier, if your potential could have been that. Those are the eight clear signs that it is time for a career change. Now, if you nodded along to any one of these signs, it is time to take a look at your career and to make a change, whether it’s a small pivot in your current company or a big leap into something new. You deserve to feel fulfilled in your work. Remember, it’s not about running away from where you are but running towards something better. And this is exactly what I help my clients do. So if you are feeling like, okay, it is time for a change, but I’m not sure what that change is, reach out to me. I can help you. I can help you get crystal clear on what that change is with my career protocol process. I can also help you move into whatever that changes, whether it’s with your current company or somewhere else. All right, I hope you have an amazing week. I’ll talk to you soon. 

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