Would you say you were happy in your current job? Does your work situation match your expectations from when you were younger? A lot of people still think that even when answering “no” to both of these questions, it doesn’t matter, because that’s just how life is, right?

Perhaps that is how life is for many, but it doesn’t have to be. When you feel you could be doing better, perhaps you should look for executive career coaching in Melbourne, Perth, Sydney or wherever you are based. But taking that step, for some, can be hard because they perhaps don’t quite know when it’s time to seek that sort of help.

Hopefully these tips will help answer: When is it time for career counselling?

1. When You Can’t Identify Clear Goals

If you were put on the spot right now, could you state clearly and without hesitation what your professional goals are for the next 5 years of your career? If not, then you might be on the wrong career path and would therefore benefit from some counselling to help find your direction.

Clearly stating those goals should be straightforward. A lawyer might say: “I’m an associate right now, but I’m aiming to be a senior associate within 5 years, and then a partner within 10 years at this firm.” That’s succinct, clear and unambiguous.

2. You Can’t Focus on Your Current Work

When you are sitting at your desk or other workstation, how easy do you find it to keep your mind entirely focused on your work activities? If you are struggling with this, and constantly find yourself staring off into space and daydreaming about other things, then it’s a strong indicator that this kind of work might not be for you.

For example, you might focus a lot on your past and think about things you would have done differently. You might think poorly of your choice of college major, or of not doing a master’s degree. There’s a lot of regret hiding in the foundations of those daydreams. You might also think about how you’d prefer to be doing different kinds of work and how in your mind it’s too late to get there now. With the right counselling, you might get on the right track.

3. You Dread Coming In and Often Find Excuses Not To

Most people will experience isolated days where they dread coming into work. There might be a particular meeting, deadline or event happening that concerns us over time. However, when in the course of your regular day to day work you are faced with this feeling of dread, hating and resenting every single time you have to get up, get dressed and come to this place each morning, then you might well be a candidate for career counselling.

On top of that, do you also find yourself finding excuses not to come into work, perhaps feigning illness, or inventing family emergencies to take as personal days. When that becomes the norm, it can become a serious problem for your position and might negatively impact your career in the long term.

4. You Hate Talking About Your Work

There are times when it’s inappropriate to talk shop, such as when you’re surrounded by others who don’t know anything about your work, for instance. That’s one thing, but when someone is perhaps embarrassed to talk about what they do, or feels utter loathing for it whenever it’s discussed, it is quite likely in the wrong line of work. Having a genuine passion for what you do is important! A careers counsellor can help you find yours.