3 Signs You are in the Right Job

Are you in the right job or how do you know if you are in the right career path? Do you feel like you have to get to the next role because that is the logical step in your career?

We all get stuck with the different voices in our heads pulling us from one direction to another. Our minds get filled with expectations we have placed upon ourselves that we find it hard to let go. Reflecting back on my own career, there have been multiple times that I wasn't in the right job but either I wasn't conscious enough or brave enough to say that is not meant for me.

So here are the top 3 tell-tale signs for when you are in the right job.

1. You are not dreading your week on Sunday evenings
I remember when I was a Tax Consultant in a big 4 accounting firm, every Sunday night I would feel the dread as if the work week has already started. My body was under stress and I did not look forward to Mondays.

This is in stark contrast with my coaching role now that on Sunday evenings, I actually get excited about the week ahead. I start planning and getting ready for the things I want to achieve this week.

So when you start to feel the dread for your job, I would like you to ask yourself this question of "What are you doing the job for or may be more importantly who you are doing it for?" You might find yourself with answers that lie in the societal and family expectations you have placed upon yourself.

2. You are progressing much faster than your peers

When you are in the right job, you will also find yourself progressing faster than your peers and easier to exceed expectations in your performance reviews.

I have had a few jobs where I have found it difficult to go above "meet expectations" in my performance review. I have tried hard for sure as I am a hard worker but no matter how hard I tried, I was not the ultimate star performer. Now reflecting back with hindsight and greater self-awareness, I realised those jobs were not meant for me.

For example, like my policy advisor role in the NZ government, the job required me to do thorough analysis of what policies are good for the NZ economy, think about all the options and their consequences. However, my personality is not detail oriented nor do I enjoy worst-case every-possible-case scenario thinking. So my strengths and my personality did not match the job. 

Again this is in stark contrast to me being a coach now, where I naturally find it easy to think deeply about what my clients need and how to best coach them. In my spare time, I also listen to podcasts and read psychology books to improve my coaching skills. So when we play to our strengths, we actually rise much faster than our peers.

My coaching question for you here is "what is holding you back from letting go of jobs that you know that are not meant for you?"

3. Your time flows

This one is a biggie! Your time flows in the right job and you are constantly learning and getting the right amount of challenge.

We as humans are motivated by progress and we feel fulfilled when we can see ourselves improving. When you are in the right job, you naturally want to do better and you enjoy seeing yourself succeed. You will find that your workday passes by quickly, you are very engrossed in the challenges of the tasks and you are not distracted nor do you want to be distracted. This is flow!

The coaching cue from me to you here is start observing when you are having periods of flow and what activities were you doing at that time.

Hi, my name is Suki certified Career Coach helping ambitious professionals to find their dream job and redefine their grind. If you have enjoyed reading about these tips, do pass them on to friends and colleagues. If you want to talk further about what is the next step for your career, then do book me in for a free 30min 1:1.