Nobody aspires to a dead-end job. Why would you? We all work to earn money, but we want to feel valued, too. Unfortunately, however, sometimes we wake up one day and realize we are in a job that has no future after all. How could this have happened?

No job is perfect. We expect to have some disappointments and plateaus over time, but the good things should outweigh the down times. The great working environment. The camaraderie among co-workers. Increasing pay and responsibilities. A good job with a future motivates you to get to work and get busy each day.

But there are warning signs that your job is not going to morph into the career opportunity you had hoped for. You know you are in a dead-end job when:

You know you could contribute more, but no one seems to care.

Co-workers do not turn to you for help or advice. Your supervisor ignores your suggestions about how to improve your job or your company’s customer service. (And, hey, those have been good ideas!) You have additional skills that are going unused. You are viewed as a tool, not an asset.

There is no upward ladder.

Other people have been promoted, but not you. No one has ever asked about your career plans or where you want to be in five years. No one has encouraged you to apply for an internal opening. In fact, they never even mention openings, they just hire new people from the outside for larger opportunities. Obviously, the higher-ups do not think of you as qualified or worth the effort to train.

Truth be told, you are bored out of your mind.

Your job was fresh and interesting when it was new. But now it has grown old. Stale. Every day is still the same-old-same-old. You have not received a pay raise, more responsibility, even a thank you in so long you can’t remember. It feels like a robot could do this job.

Take the Hint – It is Time to Move On

You thought this job had possibilities, but you are going nowhere with your current employer. You need a change – from them, maybe even from your industry. Come work for The Connection! We are growing, so we need more great people. And we hire almost 100% of our internal jobs from within. That means you will have plenty of opportunities to show your stuff and move up when openings occur. Yes, you will be appreciated!

The longer you stay in a dead-end job, the more you risk having your brain and your desire to better yourself go dead, too. Don't let that happen. You deserve better!