It's not uncommon, in any line of work, for there to be good days and bad days throughout a career. For instance, if you're a clerk at a grocery store, you might have a day where every other customer seems to be in a really cranky mood. If you work for a big corporation, you might have trouble with a particular project or proposal.

How can you determine, however, whether you are just having a string of bad days or whether it might be time to move on and find a new career? It can be challenging to make this type of discernment. One thing is sure. If you have determined that you want to quit your current job, it is helpful to have a plan in mind for what you will do next—for instance, enrolling in real estate school to obtain a license to sell homes in South Carolina.

5 signs that quitting your job might be the best choice at this point

This blog is not intended to give personal advice but merely to share data that many people have determined to be helpful when trying to discern whether to leave a job. The following list includes several red flag issues that might mean it is time to move on and start a new career:

• Your constant bad mood at work is spilling over into your private life.
• You no longer feel motivated to be productive or succeed at work.
• There's a situation that has caused you to suffer a moral quandary.
• You spend a lot of time at work wishing that you had another job.
• A particular career keeps coming to mind when you think of where you might go if you quit your job.

Sometimes, feeling fed up at work is an incentive to pursue a dream you've always had. Other times, lack of desire or stress in the workplace might be the nudge you need to hand in your notice and make plans for a new career.

Finding a career that's a good fit for you

It might just make matters worse if you were to quit your job and then enter another career that turns out not to be good fit for you. It is often helpful to compile a list of common attributes of successful people in a particular industry to determine if you might want to give it a try. For instance, the following list shows characteristics that profitable real estate agents often have in common:

• They enjoy meeting new people.
• They work well independently or as part of a team.
• Real estate agents often thrive when rising to a challenge.
• They like to help others achieve their goals.
• Many agents say they entered the industry to gain more control over their schedules and to have unlimited potential income.

You can create a similar list for almost any type of career. Consider your own personality, work ethic and goals in life in comparison to your list. After this, you can better decide which career might be the most viable option. Quitting a job can be scary. However, if you think and plan ahead, you can lay the groundwork for a smooth transition.