Intuitively, we know when we’ve outgrown a shirt or a pair of shoes. But recognizing when we’ve outgrown a job? That’s much harder.

In my career coaching, I regularly hear people use time in a position as the definitive measure. Longevity, however, is a shallow yardstick.

A more meaningful measure is growth—expanding your knowledge, strengthening your skills, broadening your network and increasing your ability to make an impact.

Today’s lackluster job market shouldn’t deter you from assessing your career fit. It’s a vital self-development exercise to conduct regularly. I recommend quarterly to prevent the career stagnation that throttles too many professionals.

Try this Spectator-Free™ Career Evaluation Tool to determine whether your career fit is too tight—or just right.

1. Learning: What knowledge are you gaining?

Knowledge is a vital growth metric. It should continuously expand through your job responsibilities, relationships and experiences. Ask yourself: What and who do I know today that I didn’t know three months ago?

Create a simple chart to assess your growth in four areas:

• Technical knowledge: What new tools, technologies, processes or capabilities have you learned that help you perform your role?
• Company knowledge: What have you learned about your organization’s operations, priorities, people and culture beyond your immediate responsibilities?
• Industry knowledge: How well are you keeping pace with trends, issues and developments affecting your industry nationally and globally?
• Self-awareness: What have you learned about yourself—your strengths, development needs, presence and reputation?

If you’re relatively new to your job, chart your progress over a six-month period. If you’ve been in your role longer, compare your growth year over year. Document areas of progress as well as shortfalls.

If the shortfalls tip the balance, don’t immediately pull the plug on where you are. Instead, use them to identify where you need to stretch.

2. Impact: What are you changing?

Acquiring knowledge is only part of career growth. Applying it creates value for your team, your company and your customers.

Identify tangible evidence of your impact. Are you solving problems? Introducing new approaches? Improving existing practices? Bringing people together in ways that produce better outcomes?

If your assessment reveals that you’re capable of contributing more in your current role, don’t mistake that for a dead end. Consider it a signal that there’s room to grow.

3. Opportunity: Where can you go from here?

Upward isn’t the only direction for career growth. Lateral growth can be incredibly powerful.

Shrug off the notion that career stagnation automatically requires a job change. In a sluggish job market, that strategy could leave you waiting—and increasingly frustrated.

Instead, investigate opportunities where you work. Lead a project with colleagues outside your immediate team. Learn a new technology. Expand your internal network.

There may be considerably more room to grow than you realize.

4. Ownership: What will you do about it?

Don’t rely solely on your manager to determine whether your current job has room for you to grow.

Take stock first. Identify where the fit has tightened and where there’s room to stretch. Map out a plan, practice your pitch and schedule a meeting with your manager to propose the opportunity.

Make it a one-on-one conversation—not an email or Slack exchange. Meet in person or, if virtual, with your camera on. Your advocacy for your growth needs to come through authentically in your words, tone and presence.

Then keep the conversation going. Take the initiative to schedule regular 20-minute check-ins with your manager—again, in person or with cameras on—to review your progress against the knowledge and impact measures you’ve established. Come prepared to discuss specific examples of what you’ve learned, contributed and advanced.

Chances are your manager will appreciate your career ownership—and you may uncover more sizzle in your current role than you realized.

Outgrowing your job happens. But it shouldn’t turn you into a spectator. Use my Spectator-Free™ Career Evaluation Tool to take stock—and take action.