We have all had bad days at work, right? Our boss yells at us, our project gets rejected, our client goes elsewhere, or the lunch truck runs out of chicken gumbo. Whatever! Some of us have had bad weeks, months or years! Does that mean we should look for a new job or quit?

Here is an objective way to look at your career role and determine if you should consider a change. Think of your job as a contractual arrangement:

Is your employer fulfilling their end of the agreement?

• Is the career opportunity you signed up for, still there?
• Is it happening as quickly as you would like?
• Are you where you thought you would be at this point in your career?

Similarly, ask yourself if you are living up to your end of the bargain.

• Is your work product what it should be?
• Are you contributing up to or beyond your capacity?
• Or are you just marking time?

For many of us the right answer is to stay put and rededicate ourselves to help our employer to succeed. If we do that, and still do not get reciprocation, then it may be time to take your talents elsewhere.