SheMentor -

Unfortunately, this is a question each of us will ask at some point in our work career (and some unlucky saps will ask more than once!) Just how do you know when it's time to look for a new job, versus perhaps just you suffering from burnout and/or boredom with your current set of tasks OR by any events happening in your private life instead?

First, here are some questions you might want to try and answer for yourself:

• Are you bored with what you're doing and genuinely can't figure out any way to add additional tasks and/or responsibilities to your daily workplate?
• Have you spoken candidly with your boss about these issues and asked for help, only to get half-hearted answers, or worse, no sympathy and/or acknowledgement at all?
• Have you recently felt marginalized at work by your boss? (the exact definition of being "marginalized" is to be relegated to an unimportant or powerless position within a society or group).
• Are you feeling bored, dissatisfied, and depressed both at work AND with your home life? If yes - you might possibly be clinically depressed, which could be masking any potential joy you could be deriving from your work.
• Do you no longer feel that you know clearly what your career growth opportunities are at your company?

Ok, now that you've done some self-evaluation, if you answered "yes" to many of the items above, you might continue your assessment by now answering true/false to the following statements:

1. I no longer have "allies" who can assist me in my battles at work, either because they were terminated in a reorganization, they left for other companies, they moved to other departments, or they have simply stopped watching out for us because of other reasons (increased demands on their time, for example).
2. Over the past six months or more, my company has been taking jobs that used to be done out of my office, and training people in other geographical office locations to take over those tasks.
3. Over the past six months, my company has undergone a reorganization that has resulted in either me getting a new boss, or me having responsibility removed from my plate.
4. During my last performance evaluation, I got an "average" or below rating.
5. Recently there has been a company-wise movement to slash expenses.
6. (If you are a publicly traded company), there has been speculation in the marketplace that your company is about to be acquired in the coming months.

My thought is that if you answered "true" to 3 or more of the true/false scenarios above, your job is probably at risk right now. But, knowledge is power, right? At least now you can take steps to ensure that you don't get blindsided by unexpected news of a termination or layoff. Be sure to read my upcoming note on "Getting A Good Job" for some hints and tips on how to prepare for your next career move!

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