It seems like we hear it on the news and social media just about every week: The unemployment rates have hit a record low, jobless claims have fallen again, and hourly wages appear to be slowly rising. On the surface it seems like anyone who really wants a new job should be able to find one. So why are so many people fearful of a career change?

With The Entrepreneur’s Source’s alternative career coaching network now surpassing 130 coaches in North America, we spend a lot of time with thousands of Clients who must come to terms with the realities of their current employment situation. Since The Entrepreneur’s Source (TES) was founded in 1984, we’ve established a few important “Warning Signs” that we caution our Clients about. These three telltale signs (below) sometimes help our Clients see what may be happening right in front of them, while a TES Coach keeps them accountable to themselves and their families.

Where is your growth path?
As outlined in this brief video from Fast Company, one of the greatest causes for burn-out is working without a sense of what comes next. If you can’t see what you’re working toward, or the end-results of your on-going efforts, getting disheartened is a common response. If you look at your company’s organization chart, do you see opportunity or do you see confusion? If we are currently in a job, without doors of opportunity and advancement, or projects that spark some level interest, it may be time to consider career alternatives.

Where is your passion?
Over the years our coaches have seen quite a gamut of unhappy employees; from those who basically sleepwalk through their workday to those who get angry before they even arrive at work. Ultimately, as outlined within this CNBC article, if your work is unchallenging or presents no opportunity for a sense of personal accomplishment, we end up being less productive, less interested, less creative and less engaged with our co-workers and teammates. Most of us who’ve worked for more than a few years know what it’s like to attempt to work with someone who’s already checked out of their job. According to a recent poll, less than one third of Americans are engaged in their jobs on any given year. Is this your year to disengage?

Where is your support system?
It’s well known among managers and executives leaders that employees don’t leave companies, they actually leave bosses. The managers above you will always have an impact on your career satisfaction based upon their personalities, their leadership style and how well they communicate. A recent Gallup study of more than 7,000 adults found that at least 50% have left a job to get away from a manager at some point in their career. Good managers are consistent with their communications, and they help all employees grow, learn and prosper.

How does Franchise Match fit in with all of this?
During the past 35 years that The Entrepreneur’s Source has been in business, we’ve discovered that thousands of working adults find the idea of becoming business owners more compelling than taking another job with another company. At that point our Coaches help them with a discovery process that keeps the Income, Lifestyle, Wealth and Equity (ILWE) goals of each client front and center as the assist in the transition from Employment to Empowerment. The best way to get started is to either contact a TES Coach, or click here to start with FranchiseMatch.com, and a coach will be assigned to you at no charge. You truly have nothing to lose and so much to gain.