If you’ve taken a realistic look at your job performance as well as how often you improve your skills and you’ve come up with mostly positives you shouldn’t be feeling undervalued in your current job.

What if you still are or what if you’re not sure? These are 10 clear signs that show you’re undervalued in your current job.

10 Signs You're Undervalued in Your Job

1. Zero Autonomy:

If you’re not trusted to get the job done without a manager breathing down your neck. Or if you need constant approval on every little thing you do, it may be a sign that your skills, knowledge, and experience are undervalued in your current job.

2. Lack of Recognition:

How can you be valued when you aren’t recognized for your achievements? A lack of recognition doesn’t just mean a lack of awards or bonuses. If your boss never acknowledges your achievements and results in any way it may be because they don’t value your contributions the way they should.

3. More Responsibilities But No Promotion in Sight:

The new responsibilities are piling up but there are no opportunities for promotions or no signs of a promotion coming your way any time soon.

When a company refuses to promote their employees when they’re persistently throwing more work and responsibilities their way it’s a sign that they don’t truly value that employee the way they should.

4. Others Promoted Around You:

Are people with less experience getting promoted ahead of you? Do you notice your coworkers getting regular promotions and you’re left out?

If you know you’re doing a good job, this could be a sign that you’re undervalued.

5. Unable to Take Sick Time or Paid Time Off:

One of the worst ways a company can undervalue their employees is to offer them paid time off or sick time and then look down upon employees who take it or, worse, prevent employees from taking it.

If this sounds like the company you currently work for you’re in a company culture that’s unhealthy and you’re being undervalued.

6. Delayed Performance Reviews:

Performance reviews are promised but, for one reason or another, they’re always delayed and pushed off. If your performance reviews (and raises because they’re typically linked) are always pushed off and never prioritized it may be because you’re undervalued.

7. Your Input and Ideas are Ignored:

You have a lot of knowledge and experience that you’re bringing to the table so, naturally, you’re going to come up with some input and ideas. If those are constantly ignored you’re probably undervalued in your current job.

8. No Room for Growth:

If you’re stuck at a dead-end job with no growth opportunities, training opportunities, or learning opportunities in sight that could be incredibly detrimental to the trajectory of your career.

If you want to improve your value and not get stuck between a rock and a hard place it’s best to jump ship from a company when there’s no room for growth, skill development, or other training opportunities.

9. Lack of Raises:

The standard cost of living raises (around 3%) per year are great. But, if you’ve worked at a company for several years and have only received those only raises, you’re probably being undervalued.

Technical professionals like you are in hot demand and salaries everywhere are increasing. If your company can’t come close to keeping up with that you may risk being underpaid.

10. You’re In Demand Elsewhere:

If you’ve got in-demand skills, it may be time to move on. Take a look at job opportunities in your area to understand how in-demand someone in your current profession is.

Bottom Line

If some or all of these 10 signs apply to you it may be time to make a career change. Start looking for great new opportunities today where you’ll be valued, fairly compensated, and rewarded for your hard work.

For more career advice, check out our blog!