According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, full-time workers spend an average of 8.56 hours working per day. And that doesn’t count time taken off for lunch (30 minutes to 1 hour) or the time spent commuting (on average, 26 minutes each way). When you add it all up, the employed spend a tremendous amount of time away from home and family every day. And isn’t time really all we have? Is that trade-off worth it? Here are a few signs that your job might be wasting your time.
Your Portfolio and Resume Are Not Looking Better
What’s your dream job? Is your current job helping you create a resume or add to a portfolio that will help you get you where you want to be? If not, you may be wasting your time. Entry-level and low-level jobs are meant to be stepping stones that help you along in your career. If you take the wrong jobs, you may find there isn’t an available route for you to get to where you want to go.
The Job Is Doing Nothing for Your Personal Brand
Forbes reports that the key to creating a successful personal brand is to be consistent and have a narrow focus. If you want to be known for something, everything you do, including your job, should be aligned with that purpose. If your job isn’t adding to your personal brand, or if it is detracting from it, think about changing your focus to a career path that complements your goals and your brand.
Your Vision Is Not Aligned With Company’s Objectives
What does your company stand for? What are its objectives? Do they align with your vision and goals? If not, you may be wasting your time. Worse yet, you may find it difficult to shift your focus when you try to leave or to stand out as an attractive candidate for a company that does share your values as you try to relocate to a better or different position.
There Is No Way Up and No Way Out
Take a moment to evaluate the future opportunities your current job affords you. Do you have plenty of opportunity for advancement? Can you take the skills you’re learning now and use them as leverage to get a better position at a different company? If not, you may be stuck in a dead-end job.
If your job is taking your time without giving you anything in return other than a paycheck, you may be wasting your time at a dead-end job that will never help you realize your goals. And if that’s the case, don’t be afraid to make a change.
