Most of us feel lucky to have a job at all, but that gratitude for simply having a job can sometimes cloud our perspective on whether our current job is the right fit for us. Just because your job was once fulfilling and a great fit doesn’t mean it currently is, but you may be buying into one of these 5 common myths that keep a lot of us from quitting a perfectly acceptable job. Is it time for you to quit and move on to greener pastures? Maybe not. But, if one or more of these myths resonate with you, it’s worth looking into other opportunities to see if there’s greener grass in the near future for your career.

Common Myth 1: It’s Okay That I’m Not Feeling Challenged or Learning Anything New

You can love the company culture, your coworkers, your benefits and compensation, and still find yourself at the end of the road with a position. How? By allowing yourself to buy into the myth that it’s okay not to feel challenged or learn anything new at work. If these opportunities are no longer available to you and you start to feel like you’re working on autopilot, this is a pretty clear signal that it’s time to move on from your current position. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to quit! If there are opportunities for promotions, advancements, or even cross-training in other areas that interest you so your current position can expand, those are worth considering first. If not, it may be time to find a new position where you can be challenged, where you can learn, and where you can grow.

Common Myth 2: The Job Responsibilities May Be Changing/Growing But the Titles and Promotions Aren’t, and That’s Okay for Now!

You’re not bored in your current job at all! If anything, you’re overwhelmed because your plate is fuller than ever with new responsibilities. But, wait a minute, why has your job title stayed the same as you’ve added more and more to your plate? Why has your salary flat-lined or stagnated when you’re continuously adding more value? This is a red flag that can sometimes be hard to see if you buy into this common myth. If the title changes and additional compensation aren’t coming, it’s time to take your hard work and dedication to a company that will value your contributions and offer you the promotions and raises you deserve.

Common Myth 3: The Overwhelming Stress and Imbalanced Work-life Equation Has to Ease Up At Some Point, Right?

In most jobs, your work-life balance will never stay exactly the same, which is why it can be hard to gage if you’re buying into this myth or if you’re just in a particularly long busy season. Take a step back and count up the days when you were overwhelmed by stress. Count up the extra hours you’re putting in and how often. Tally the missed events, the relationships growing distant, the chores or other out of work responsibilities that are falling behind, anything that affects your overall quality of life. Make sure you have a clear picture of what your work-life balance is and, if it’s imbalanced more often than not, it might be worth looking into job opportunities that offer more flexibility and balance. Whether you look into remote or partially remote positions, look for companies that offer unlimited PTO and actually mean it, or even just look for a job at a family oriented organization where everyone is encouraged to go home on time each day and stay unplugged from work when you’re not at work, you don’t have to grin and bare it if your current work-life balance is out of whack too often in your current job.

Common Myth 4: Positive Relationships With Coworkers and Bosses are a Plus, Not an Essential

No one ever said you have to love everyone you work with but you also don’t have to buy into the myth that positive relationships with coworkers and bosses are a plus, not an essential. Whether you’re dealing with a toxic team or simply working in a company culture where you feel like you don’t fit in, these strained coworker relationships can snowball into negativity, resentment, and general unhappiness at work. You spend so much time with the people you work with, shouldn’t you try to find a company where you actually have positive relationships with the people you surround yourself with every weekday?

Common Myth 5: Everyone Dreads Going to Work on Monday, So It’s Fine For You To Do the Same

On Sunday nights, the misery starts to set in. By Monday morning you’re practically swimming in it. And, if you’re honest with yourself, Tuesday through Friday mornings aren’t much better. By Friday evening you’re elated to be out of there, but you’re still dragging and exhausted by your work week so it takes some time to shake off that negativity. If this sounds like you, there should be sirens blaring, red alerts sounding, and red flags as far as the eye can see. The thing is, it’s a myth that everyone dreads going into work on Monday or each day of the week. If you really hate your job that much, don’t you owe it to yourself to at least look for positions where you might be happier? This could mean something as drastic as a total career change or it could just mean moving to a company where your work is more engaging, where you believe in what they’re doing, where you fit in with the corporate culture, where you like the people you work with, where you’re fairly compensated, where there’s room to learn and grow, etc.

Don’t let these 5 common myths hold you back from a happy, fulfilling, well-balanced career! As a technical professional, you’ve got plenty of opportunities available to you, so why settle for a job you hate or think is okay when you could find something great? And, if you don’t have the time to search high and low for a better alternative, working with a career advocate like one of Camden Kelly’s Search Executives or simply browsing our open job listings is a great place to start.