Hating your job is perfectly normal IMO. Maybe you’ve just worked there too long and the little things are now starting to get on your nerves. Maybe you’ve been there just for a while but you can’t take it anymore. Believe me, I’ve been there. But what do you do when you hate your job?
1. Admit Your Feelings
I’m the type of person who can very quickly move to hating a job simply because I’m bored (or haven’t had enough sleep for more than 3 days). If you’re starting to feel negatively towards your job, own it. Try and figure out what it is that’s making you so unhappy. Is it a project that is more difficult than anticipated? A toxic work environment? Micro-manager from hell? Name your issue or issues.
2. Can You Fix It?
Can the issue be resolved? If it’s just a matter of a stressful project, when will it end? If you’re having an issue with your work environment can you move to another team? If it’s something that CANNOT be fixed, are you willing to leave the company based on this or stay and accept the problem?
3. Develop Your Exit Strategy
Ah, exit strategies. My favourite. I’ve done alot of those throughout the years and while they’re alot of work the end result (a better job) has always made me really happy. Start off by listing your current skills as well as what roles you’d be interested in. This is also a great time to make a list of what your ideal job looks like. If you have any contacts in the industry, reach out to let them know what you’re going through. I had casually mentioned to a few people that I needed a new role and within a week, they had found me a new gig.
4. Start Networking (If You Haven’t Already)
Start networking with others in your field or in fields that you want to work in. LinkedIn is great for this. If you know an organisation that you’d like to work for, reach out to the people in the hiring team. This might sound intimidating (I know it felt super intimidating to me) but I did this once after a friend pushed me into it. I didn’t get the role but I also discovered that the organisation wasn’t a fit for me and my experience anyway.
5. DO Remember You Might Not Find a Job Immediately
This is very important. I had been job searching for 2 months straight and still didn’t find a role. It was really demotivating- and at the time, I still HAD a job. Make peace with the fact that it might take you a while to find a job. Because of this, it might make sense for you to check if you have enough funds before you try this next step.
6. Quit
Never have I ever quit from a job without something lined up. I mean I’d love to but as I get closer to 30 I can feel that window closing. If you’re really unhappy in your job and you have the means to, you might want to quit. Personally I feel like life is too short to be working in crappy jobs but also all those bills aren’t going to pay themselves.
Hating your job is tough but it doesn’t have to be something that defines you. You can decide at any moment to turn things around. Yes, society has conditioned us to believe that almost everyone hates their job but it’s possible to work a job that you love too.
