Help I Hate My Job!
You wake up in the morning feeling like you’ve been punched in your stomach.
You don’t want to go there but you have to. Thoughts are racing through your mind while you’re making your coffee (or standing in the queue at your favourite coffee shop). What to do if you hate your job?
Stress kicks in. You feel like a hamster in a hamster wheel. Sheer willpower gets you through your workday. A day of your life that is spent bouncing from bored to stressed to uninspired.
A day of your life filled with negativity, silly drama, and power plays… It saps you of your energy. You come home exhausted every evening.
Quitting is not an option now, so what is?
Focusing on your exit plan.
The situation is not perfect. It will never be, but if you fuel a good portion of your energy into your exit plan instead of focusing on what’s wrong with your current situation you’ll reduce stress and keep your mind on the positives that may be around the corner. I’m not suggesting you take your eye off the ball at your current role, but take ‘practical solace’ from having an exit plan.
Your next job might not be your dream job
Even in films and books, it’s not always a smooth path to your ideal destination. The hero or heroine bags a happy ending after a lot of struggle. Sometimes it’s not a straight line from A to B. It’s from A to C through B.
If you are waiting to quit your job until your dream job comes along, consider that there might be something in between. When you are overwhelmed and feel stuck, it can be a challenge to know what you want to do next. All of your energy is spent in survival mode, so a stopover between the job you hate and the job you’ll love can be a genius solution. If you want to take things to the next level, keep in mind that the next level isn’t always up.
Join forces with a Career Coach
Sure, there’s plenty of free career advice out there on the web. But while there’s a myriad of general advice on how to hone in on your brand, how to come up with a pitch during your executive interview etc., almost everyone will, at some point, have some specific problems about their situations that they’re not sure how to handle. And that’s where a career coach can really come in handy.
After all, this is someone impartial who will listen to your situation and give you an expert opinion on how to create a road map for your future. This is especially important at a point of transition such as hating your current job, where some external guidance could pay dividends as far as your future decision making are concerned.
Take Advantage of Any “Extras” the current Job Offers to upskill
Different jobs have different perks, but almost every job has at least one. Take advantage of training and development programs, if you can access them. Volunteer to do a project that will enhance your skills and shine on your CV. You must take ‘career management’ as a subject that you need to learn and develop from now on throughout your career, along with the functional aspects of your own job specialism.
Look for lessons to learn
There are always things to be learned even in bad situations, so even if you hate your job, there are always opportunities for you to learn from it. Take them. This may be a stepping stone to something better, and to learn about yourself too.
The ancients said: Know Thyself. Self-knowledge will help you to make better career moves in the future.
Finally
Hating your job isn’t enough. You need to desire something more than you hate your job.
Instead of waiting for the enough is enough stomp your feet and scream “I quit” moment, find out now what matters most in your life, with some serious measured reflection.
When your desire for purpose, love, happiness and peace becomes greater than your fear of uncertainty, you’ll quit.
Book your complimentary chat to discover how we can help.
