Do You Need a New Career? 4 Ways to Tell

It's surprisingly hard to find data about how often people change careers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which tracks so many aspects of American life, admits defeat, noting that it has in fact never attempted to estimate how many times Americans have changed careers, because there is no consensus on what constitutes a career change. This actually makes a great deal of sense, because different people define career change differently.

Speaking purely for myself, I went down the career change road in 2021. My old industry (museums) was badly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and I took one last job in the field toward the end of 2020, when I was facing a pandemic-related pay cut in a role I'd had for several years. Accepting that last position was a mistake, but it came with a silver lining. It showed me that I needed a more substantial change, both for my mental health as well as for my personal finances.

I'm now two years into my current career and thriving. Here are a few ways to know that your current career isn't working for you, and it's time for a change.

1. You're not growing as a professional

Do you feel as if you're just spinning your wheels at work and going through the motions, without having the opportunity to learn new skills and information? Just about every career field has ways to build on knowledge, be it through formal classes, online learning opportunities, conferences, or workshops. If you're not quite ready to give up on your current field, consider looking into one of these. Alternatively, if there is no path forward for you in that career, these opportunities can also help you transition to something new.

2. You want to earn more money

Some fields pay better than others -- this is just a fact. But life is expensive regardless, and if you're not getting enough money directly deposited into your checking account on payday, it could be time for a change. A desire to earn more figured into my own career change, and if you want to earn a higher salary, that's absolutely a valid reason to make a change.

If your particular job doesn't pay enough for you to really thrive, but you're reasonably happy with the work, consider pursuing some of the education opportunities I mentioned above, and use your new qualifications to make a jump to a higher-paying role. Alternatively, education of any kind can be a real asset if you decide you want a new career altogether. To paraphrase Warren Buffett, investing in yourself is the best investment.

3. You actively dislike the work you do

Ultimately, you work to make money -- your job is a means to an end. So while it's not strictly necessary for you to love or even really like your job, it certainly makes it easier to commit so much of your life to it. We all have the occasional bad day, but you should be concerned if it seems as if you have nothing but bad days at work.

If you're struggling to enjoy the tasks specific to your current role, but taking on a different position in your career field would give you different work that you might like better, it's worth trying to just change jobs. But if you're over the field as a whole, consider switching careers.

4. You want to work remotely -- and can't in your current field

Just as there's a pay disparity between career fields, some jobs can easily be performed remotely, while others can't. In my days of museum exhibits and collections care, there was no way to work from home on any kind of permanent basis (and the three months I spent as a remote worker during the early days of COVID-19 were rather untenable based on the needs of my job). Having a location-based career had me moving house many, many times -- and never truly feeling as if I had a real home.

Switching to a career that supported remote work meant that I could move anywhere I wanted to, and now I'm even saving to buy a house, since I don't have to worry about needing to move for a job. If you're interested in remote work but currently working in a field where that's not possible, changing careers could be worth it. After all, remote work requires certain strengths and skills, but it could lead to a better work-life balance and greater happiness for you.

Ultimately, no one but you can answer the question of whether it's time for a career change. But the above signs are certainly worth paying attention to and acting upon if they apply to you.