4 Signs It Might Be Time To Switch Careers

If you’re reading this, you’re probably at a crossroads, wondering if switching careers is the right move. I’ve been there, it’s equal parts scary, exciting and full of overthinking.

After four years of studying Pharmacy and two years working in it, I felt like I’d taken the wrong turn but kept pushing through because of the sunk-cost fallacy. Sometimes it’s just a bad day (we all have them), but when those bad days start piling up, it’s worth paying attention.

So, if you’re in that space, this post is for you.

Grab a pen and paper (yes, old school) because we’re going to work through some prompts together. By the end, you’ll have a lot more clarity on whether it’s time to switch careers. And if you can’t do it right now, no worries, just set a reminder to come back. Your future self will thank you.

Here are four signs it might be time to consider a career switch.

1. You’re constantly craving mental stimulation

You’re bored. Work gets repeatative and without sounding cocky, you know you could do the work with your eyes closed. At first, you think: That’s it, I need a new career. But hold on. Sometimes boredom is just a sign you’ve mastered your role and there’s no challenge left. Remember, for a task to feel stimulating there has to be the right balance of challenge, skill and growth.

Before making any rash moves, ask yourself: Can I reframe this? Can I take on a different project, expand into another role, or learn a new skill? If the answer’s no and the hunger for more isn’t going away, then it might be time to move on.

2. You don’t want your boss’s job

This was a big one for me. I’d look at people who had been in the role for 5-10+ years and ask myself: Do I actually want to end up where they are? Sometimes the answer was a very clear nope.

Look at the people ahead of you. Are they happy? Do they have work-life balance? Does their lifestyle excite you, or does it kinda scare you to your core? If you can’t picture yourself thriving in that future, then maybe this ladder isn’t worth climbing.

3. Burnout has moved in (and unpacked its bags)

Let’s talk about the Sunday scaries. That pit-in-your-stomach dread before Monday rolls around. Or worse, when your body literally feels like it’s rejecting the idea of work. That’s burnout, and it’s not normal to feel that way all the time.

I once had someone comment on one of my TikToks that “work and joy can’t go together.” Honestly? I disagree. Sure, work will always have its hard days, but joy can exist in your career. If you’ve forgotten what that feels like, maybe it’s time to ask yourself why.

4. You’re more excited by the side stuff than the actual job

This one hit me hard. In Pharmacy, I was obsessed with the tech, the barcode scanners, the dispensing system, the new features. While others were counting pills, I was thinking, Wait, why are we manually emailing people when prescriptions could be automated? (Nerd alert, I know.)

That curiosity was a clue. It showed me that what really lit me up wasn’t Pharmacy itself, but the systems and problem-solving behind it. Sometimes your next career is hiding in plain sight, in the parts of your current job that feel like fun.

A word of caution before you leap

Before switching careers, make sure you can find joy in your current one. No job is perfect. There will be hard days, dull days and brilliant days. If you jump every time things get tough, you’ll spend forever chasing something external that can only be cultivated within.

Try this: write down three things you enjoyed about work each day. Gratitude is grounding. That way, when you do move on, it won’t be from a place of fatigue but from genuine readiness for your next chapter.

Action steps

Here are some journaling prompts to help you get clarity:

1. What scenario triggered me wanting to move careers?

2. What are five things I love about my current career?

3. If money didn’t matter, what would I do?

4. What skills do I need to acquire to make the switch?

And a couple of resources I’d recommend exploring:

• How to Find Work You Love

• Limiting Beliefs Hindering Your Career Change

Switching careers isn’t just about escaping something you dislike, it’s about moving toward a version of yourself that feels more aligned. It’s scary, yes. But it’s also incredibly exciting. And trust me, if I could do it, so can you.

Until next time,

Ruth