When It’s Impossible to Get Along With Your Supervisor

It’s normal to disagree with your boss occasionally. In fact, disagreements can also lead to improvements within the company, such as changes to job processes or systemization. But if you have a boss who doesn’t tolerate differences of opinion, it can make every day at work miserable.

So if you’re relationship with your boss is filled with drama, and distrust, it’s time to switch jobs.

Here are some of the telltale signs that your relationship with your boss is sour:

• You’re Micromanaged: When your boss manages micromanages every detail of your work down to your restroom breaks because he/she doesn’t trust you or is afraid to give up control of a work process.

• You’re Excluded: When your boss excludes you from key work processes that should involve you because he/she doesn’t trust you to do your job.

• You’re Belittled: When your boss not only challenges your every idea or suggestion at meetings, but throws insults into the mix to put you down you in front of others.

• You’re Underutilized:  When your boss fails to utilize your skills, certifications, or training and instead gives job processes you’re qualified for to others.

When Your Company Becomes Insolvent

Having no knowledge of your company’s financial situation and receiving the news that it went bankrupt is like working in a ship’s engine room when it suddenly hits an iceberg. But if you hear rumors that the company is in trouble, it’s time to get out of the engine room and onto the deck where you can see things clearly. How can you do that?

By looking out for the following clues:

• Disappearing Perks: If your company is in trouble, you’ll notice when your company perks disappear. This could be a downgrade in business travel, an empty company-funded office pantry, or renegotiation of subsidies.

• Unpaid Extra Duties: If your job scope encompasses the work done by several different job titles (business development, IT specialist, customer relationship management) but your company won’t give you a raise, it’s a sign the company is in financial trouble.

• Required Sacrifices: If your company wants you to take a pay cut, unpaid leave, or both for the benefit of the company, this is a sure sign that your company is becoming insolvent.

• Declining Sales: If your friend in sales or admin tells you that customer orders have dropped or sales targets are becoming unrealistic, it’s another indication that the company is in danger.

When You Realize You’re in a Dead-End Job

If you feel like your co-workers are getting ahead in the company even though you do more, it’s an indication that it’s time to switch jobs. Sometimes it’s hard to tell if you’re in this position because either your boss tells you “things will get better” or you’re still “waiting” on that promotion or raise that he/she promised you.

Only time will tell if you’re stuck in a dead-end job or not. But here are several telltale signs that you’re stuck with one:

• Unfulfilled Promises: If your boss promises that you’ll get your hard-earned raise or promotion “once we have the budget” and makes the same promise a year later, it’s a sign you’re in a dead-end job.

• Untapped Skills: If you have skills that can help your company succeed but they’re either not being tapped or someone else less qualified is doing a job you should be doing, it’s another sign the job is taking you nowhere.

• Comfort Zone:  If you’ve been doing the same job for years to the point that you’re a specialist, but it leaves you in a position where you can’t advance or your salary is maxed-out, you’re stuck in a dead-end job.