Creatives have the tendency to bounce from place to place rather often, especially at the beginning of their careers. Sometimes it’s because they’ve produced some badass work and another agency came calling. But for most of us, a new gig means moving to an agency that will help us do better work and give us better opportunities. Below is a list of several reasons why it might be time to look for a new gig. If you can answer yes to more than one of them, it might be that time.

You’re the grunt.

Sure, for most juniors that’s your job. You do the shit work and pay your dues. If you do well, eventually you’ll get thrown a bone and get an opportunity to work on something cool. But if you’ve been buried in turn-and-burn, get-it-done-yesterday work for well over a year and you don’t see yourself getting out of that hole, let alone a book piece, it’s probably time to look for a new job. The longer you do that kind of work, the longer you will do that kind of work. It’s a vicious cycle. GTFO.

Your boss sucks.

Your creative director is probably the most influential person to your career, especially at the beginning. They can help you become a better concepter, presenter, hell, even a better person. But what if that’s not the case? If you feel like you aren’t being pushed or challenged, it might be time to get your portfolio in order. In the end, it’s up to you to make yourself better. But if your boss doesn’t care about making you better as well, then it’s time to bounce, chief.

Your agency is on a decline.

Agencies can feel like a rollercoaster sometimes. Ups, downs, layoffs, hirings. That’s just part of how it works, folks. But staying at an agency that sees more lows than highs, or does more getting by than getting ahead, can be detrimental to your book. Here are a couple signs that your agency might be on a decline:

• They’ve lost business. Duh.
• The work they used to do a couple years ago is waaaay better than the work they do now.
• People are leaving. Layoffs are one thing, but if masses of people are putting in their two-weeks rapid-fire, that’s a bad sign. They probably know something that you might not.

You’re burnt out.

Working as a creative isn’t always as cool at portfolio school made it seem. You’ve got to deal with a lot of non-creative people weighing in on creative ideas, which can be daunting. If you’re seeing project after project being compromised, watered down, “bastardized” or “frankensteined,” it might be time to evaluate where you are. A lot of it comes down to motivation. Do you have the energy, effort and passion to put up with all that and keep striving for good work? If so, keep fighting the good fight and stay positive. If not, it might be time to not only look for a new job, but also maybe even a new career.

- Sean Leonard