Or you dread coming to work, finding yourself bored and unmotivated by your daily routine and fed up with the office politics.
"If either of those scenarios sounds familiar, or you simply find yourself wandering more and more frequently to employment Web sites, searching for that elusive dream job, the time might be right for you to move on to the next stop on your career path.
There are a number of warning signs that can indicate that it's time to update the resume, said Nancy Blue, a career specialist based in Austin, Texas. Sometimes people stop learning or lose their passion for the job. In other cases, personality conflicts with managers and co-workers can hamper productivity. But perhaps the biggest reason people move on, Blue said, is because there's no more upward mobility in their jobs, whether in terms of position or money.
Angela Quarles, a manager of media relations for Verizon in Arlington, Va., says she's familiar with the itch to move on through her experiences with other employers including the Department of Transportation.
"At times I have felt restless at work," she said. "The restless feeling comes when you don't think that you're being challenged enough or that there are limited growth opportunities at your current place of business."
Another reason people move on to different jobs is to satisfy a particular yearning or interest.
Depelsha Thomas, a director of business development for MTV in New York, decided to leave her job as a consultant for Andersen Consulting because she's always had an interest in media.
"Although [consulting] is great training and pays well, I knew that [it] wasn't for me in the long-term," Thomas said. "My passion has always been in media and entertainment so I wanted to focus my efforts more there. Now, I'm able to use the strategic and analytical skills I learned in consulting in a job I love."
Rather than allowing a sense of restlessness to fester, both Quarles and Thomas found new jobs that would challenge and motivate them. But unfortunately, many people don't take such a proactive route, Blue said.
"Most people are threatened by the job-switch process," she said. For many people, it's "easier to stay in a rut."
But it's not good for workers to stay in a situation that makes them unhappy.
"When you start to feel unhappy, your emotions are telling you something. You're not getting what you need," Blue said.
So what does she suggest employees do when they find themselves in a rut? Blue recommends that they take a little test.
"Ask yourself 'why am I coming to work everyday?' and write those reasons down," she said. If your job is not meeting those work values, then it's time to move on and look for a job that will.
What it really boils down to, Blue said, is control. Most people don't realize that they have control over their careers. "Once they realize that, they're no longer stuck in a rut," she said.
