Help is at hand to make right move

If you're looking for a career change or interested in learning new skills then why not head to The Sentinel Jobs and Training Fair tomorrow.

The event will be held at the Victoria Hall in Hanley from 9am to 3pm.

There will be plenty of advice and information on hand to help you with your next steps.

We've all been in jobs we don't like but how do you move on?

Defining what it is about your job that you don't like is a good place to start, says career coach Denise Taylor, of Amazing People.

Here are five signs that you might be in the wrong job right now:

The job is difficult.

It may seem like quite an obvious indicator, but actually this feeling can creep up on you when previously all seemed to be going swimmingly.

If it's a new job, you may start really positively, keeping on top of skills that might not come naturally to you, but one day, you could just wake up and realise how hard it is.

Discovering this can be a huge upset, and you can use up a lot of energy stressing about it, eventually leading to burn-out.

Another example is if you are promoted into a role that you shouldn't be doing.

Often if you're good at your job, people think you should automatically be promoted but this isn't necessarily so.

If you're great at selling, for example, it's because you're good with customers, not the paperwork that comes with being a manager.

You have toxic colleagues.

Nobody should have to put up with bullying but this is something more subtle.

You may have colleagues – or a boss – who are just mean-spirited, their put-downs chipping away at you and your work all the time. Developing a tough skin is easier said than done, and it's extremely difficult to not let such comments affect you.

If you've tried to fend off their jibes with a couple of well-placed quips of your own and this hasn't worked, make sure you have something to look forward to outside of work.

You've outgrown your role.

The ideal job is one where you have room to grow and progress, whether it's with promotions or the chance to try new and exciting projects.

If you find you're stuck in a rut with no variation, try taking the matter into your own hands and volunteer to do extra things.

To keep your interest levels maintained you could try studying part-time and look at ways to introduce what you're learning into your job.

No scope for promotion.

If your company doesn't have a structured career path, or the promotional roles just aren't available at the moment, don't despair.

Think laterally and look to see if there is room to move sideways – perhaps a move from finance to marketing might suit you, for example.

You live for the weekend.

If the thought of going into the office fills you with despair, think about what bit of your working life is so awful and then try to find a glimmer of something you do like about it and hang onto that.

However, at the end of the day, if you've tried to make the most of your situation and nothing changes, don't be afraid to leave.

Use the experience to work out exactly what you do and don't want from a job so that you can identify suitable roles for the future.

And you're sure to find the answers that you're looking for if you head down to The Sentinel Jobs Fair tomorrow.

The Sentinel Jobs Fair will have plenty of advice if you're looking for a new role.