Quit, Time to? Maybe. Maybe Not

Q. I think my career here is at a standstill—I may even be on the way out. I'm getting some uneasy feelings that I'm not on the "inside track" anymore. How can I tell whether I should stay or start looking for another job? — Sam B.

A. Let's take the most serious problem first: Are you "on the way out"? Hanging on to a job even when you think you're in trouble may be appealing, maybe because you have a sense of "company loyalty," or that "things will change," or you think, “I've got enough time in—I'll be fine.” In today’s workplace, these reactions may be unrealistic— or just plain denials. Today, the only real security you have is what you make for yourself and the continued demand and marketability for your skills.

How well you’ve kept up with employment demand for people in similar jobs can be a good index of where your own career is going. (A hundred years ago, more than one buggy whip maker had to admit, "It's a dying industry; I've got to learn something else.") Another index of your job security is the signals you’re getting from your boss and others.

Look for several signs that may tell you it's time to start looking for a new job:

Your performance appraisals rate you as "Average" or even "Not Meeting Expectations."

It's rare that someone with a consistent rating of "Exceeds Expectations" gets "downsized" unless the entire department is being cut.

Your ideas are downplayed or ignored.

If the ideas you suggest are often ignored or attributed to someone else, you're probably not viewed as being a key player, or someone on the fast track to more responsibility.

Others get the good assignments.

Co-workers seem to get the best projects to

work on; are asked to join key teams; are invited to higher-level meetings.

Your boss doesn't answer your phone calls or e-mails.

If you ask about it, you hear things like, "Hey, sorry, I've been really tied up. I'll get back to you." But the behavior doesn't change much.

You're no longer in the information loop.

You don't get key memos; they "forget" to invite you to meetings; requests for time with your boss are delayed or ignored.

Your budget is cut consistently more than others.

It usually means your work isn't seen as important as others. The budget is a good clue to your perceived value to the company.

Try Bouncing Back

If outside research tells you that your skills are still valued, take a look at yourself and your daily enthusiasm and energy. Maybe it's time to re-invent yourself and work with the high-powered steam you had 10 years ago. Movers on the fast track make things happen. You have to do that too.

So, what to do? Actually you have several options:

Speak up.

Don't assume you're finished, or that there's no hope. Tell your boss why you're unhappy or concerned and ask what you can do to get back on track—and seen as a superior performer.

Get Support.

Find a network, perhaps online, to vent frustration and get fresh ideas on what to do.

Re-focus.

Decide what you want from your job, career, and life. Now may be the time to switch careers. Or maybe not. Make a list of your skills, your dreams, your goals. If they aren't in synch with what the market wants, then re-focus your goals.

Take time out.

Take some vacation time to sort things out. Interview with other

companies to find out what's available (maybe the grass really isn't greener elsewhere.) Find out what options you have.

Make a Plan; Decide to Act.

Once you're comfortable with your plan, get going-either on rebuilding your career, or moving on. You can't do both.

Even if you've decided to look elsewhere, make sure you're working at peak performance and enthusiasm. This will be the last perception your boss has of you when you have to ask for a reference. Make it a good one.