Everyone has had at least one job they disliked, or even hated, but the constant struggle in everyone's mind is when and if they should leave. There are multiple signs that show up to let you know when it's time to move on and find something better for you. Some people call these signs the three "M's."
The first and most important sign that you should put in your two-weeks notice is if you go to work feeling "miserable."
Many people start a new job with a positive attitude, thinking that this is a fresh start, and that they will have many opportunities to both make money and be happy in their job. However, in many cases, especially in the 18-25 age range, this feeling typically wears off within the first month or two, and the daily routing of going to work, being at work, and clocking out becomes mundane and uninteresting. Sometimes, the wage will make up for the disinterest in the job, but there comes a point where the scale tips to the side of feeling miserable, and dreading coming to work becomes a part of one's life. If you wake up on your workdays feeling miserable, have a feeling of self-loathing when you clock in then after you clock out all you can think about is how much you will hate having to come back tomorrow, you will most likely want to try to find a change in scenery, for your own well-being.
The second sign that you should leave your job is the "money" factor.
Especially at the college level, many people are simply trying to find employment in general. They typically aren't looking for their career, but rather something to keep the bills paid and put food in their stomach. Many college students usually look to two main facets of the working world: retail, and service. Living in a college town full of malls and shopping centers, there are always stores looking for sales associates at an entry level, typically paying very little more than minimum wage, who also have a high turnover rate. By the same token, college towns also have many bars and restaurants where college students make a living off of (usually poor) tips that barely keep them fed and housed. In both of these cases, employees usually aren't looking to stay for long, and thus don't receive the necessary raises required to advance in their life, which later results in their resignation. The bottom line is if you feel like the money you are being paid doesn't equate to the time you are spending working, then chances are you might want to start looking somewhere else.
The final and perhaps most important of the reasons to quit is the last "M:" "mentorship."
When most students approach graduation or leave college, they are looking for something they can invest their time and work into that will propel them in a direction that will sustain them for the rest of their life, most of us call them "careers." Although it can be hard to find a niche in the post-grad world, a place that can provide any opportunity for advancement is something many people look for. If you are working a job that you feel your work goes unnoticed and those above you do not see you as someone with potential, then chances are neither should you. What you SHOULD look for in an employer is someone who sees the passion you have for your job as well as the hard work you have invested, and offers to invest in YOU as an asset. These are the types of relationships that tend to benefit both the employer and the employee, which will result in both a happier work environment as well as an increase in income.
The bottom line is this: if you go to work feeling miserable, underpaid, and under-appreciated by those who supervise you, don't sell yourself short and go find somewhere who will appreciate the talents and skills you have to offer, and everything else will fall into place. There is no reason anyone should have to feel underappreciated, because everyone has something to offer to someone.