There's Nothing Scarier Than a Dead-End Job

Every Halloween, groups of all ages plan their creepy costumes, horror movie marathons, and haunted house outings… but what’s even scarier than that? A job that gives you more nightmares than Freddy Kreuger!
Nobody wants to spend the majority of their daily lives in a job that has no room for growth, promotion, or personal/professional development. Thinking about changing jobs, or even entire careers, can also be a frightening notion, but don’t be “spooked” into staying at that dead-end job.

Check out these 5 Signs your job is at the end of the road.

1. No promotion in sight. You could be working for a great company, but if you have no chance of progression unless the person above you leaves (who has been there forever), you could be wasting away in the same role for years. This is a common issue in a lot of smaller firms with a traditional hierarchy, unless you can pave your own road outside of that trajectory. But this won’t be a possibility in all jobs, so it may be time to reevaluate your path if it’s looking dark and dismal.

 2. Your motivation has died. If you are stuck in a rut working under the same boss, at the same cube, with the SAME responsibilities year after year, it’s no surprise you feel like “The Walking Dead.” First things first, if you know your outlook and output would improve if you were given more responsibility, bring a strong case to your superiors. You will need numbers, or at least some tangible proof that you have made an impact since you started. If you think you would actually be even more miserable because you still hate what you are doing, then pack it up. Staying at your job just because you can is a lose-lose situation for everyone involved.

 3. Negative vibes.If a little bit of your soul dies every time you step foot in your office, you should probably look elsewhere. No matter where you work, there are going to be people you don’t get along with on a personal basis. But, if you are working directly with someone you just can’t agree with, or you’re wasting most of your day butting heads with people, that’s a big red flag. You may look like the bad guy no matter what you do, and this will negatively affect how everyone else perceives you too. Take an honest look at yourself and make sure you’re not really the problem, or that there’s nothing you can do to improve your relations. If that’s the case, you will just run into the same situation wherever you go and changing your environment will not be the solution

 4. Send in the robots. One of the biggest signs of a job going nowhere fast is if a machine can ultimately do your work. Does your job require any people skills? Creativity? Problem solving? Are your daily tasks repetitive and predictable? Jobs that require more “human-like” skills seem to be the safest from AI takeover, but take a look at this info-graphic The BBC put together on what risk robots pose to different professions. It’s a grim thought, but a reality that in 20 years or so, some jobs may be completely obsolete. Make sure you have concrete skills to fall back onto.

What did you do when you realized you were in a dead-end job? How did you get out?
Are you still stuck? Share your stories below!  Follow my company AC LION on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.