Being in a job you don’t like can be one of the most frustrating things in your career. For some reason you just cannot leave your job yet, so now you have to find a way to cope. I know what I said “When I Quit My Job After a Month” or when I wrote, “Why You Should Never Settle For Just Any Job”. However, I have to admit that no matter how much you think you had it right, sometimes we just fail to make the right judgement about a certain job, position or company.
Unfortunately, we do have to bear the consequence of that poor decision. And yes, you could just pack up your stuff and leave, the decision is yours to make. But if you just can’t afford to yet, here’s a guide on how to survive and make the best out of a job you don’t like.
Analyse the advantages and disadvantages
Analysing both the advantages and disadvantages of your job will give you a better perspective on how to move forward. Even though you might not like your job, there should be some kind of benefit that you get from doing the job. Writing down the advantages enables you to identify those things. Writing down the disadvantages will enable you to proactively make necessary changes.
If your work has become quite a routine, you could also discuss with your manager about mixing up your work or tasks. You can list down the advantages and disadvantages of choosing or staying on the job in the following way:
Staying:
- Gaining corporate work experience
- The ability to work on your soft skills (Communication, Negotiation, Presentation)
- Company or brand looks good on your CV
- Salary helps you save towards your business or school
Leaving:
- Too many gaps in your CV
- No work consistency (working at various places shorter than a year with no valid explanation)
- Having financial instability
Separate your work from your personal life
If your work is always leaving you frustrated, please do not bring your work home. Seek a healthy work-life balance, especially when it comes to a job you don’t particularly like. For example, if you weren’t able to complete a specific task, don’t try to work on this at home. Rather choose to have a fresh start and go to the office an hour earlier the next morning.
Also, when you’re on leave, learn to enjoy your days off. It can be very tempting to check your work emails just so that you can stay on top of things. However, if it’s not for any urgent reason, try to let it go.
Stay true to who you are
When you find yourself in a negative work environment, it becomes very easy to get sucked into the negative office culture. I have worked at a company where the culture was such that a serious (or frowned) face or attitude was associated with people ‘working hard’ and getting the work done. So if you were found laughing, bubbly or basically ‘too happy’ you could not have been working hard.
In these situations whereas an employee, you feel restricted from doing the most basic things, always remain true to yourself. If you love to be bubbly and happy at work, you just be you.
Quit and resign with class
Speaking of staying true to yourself. Everyone has their limits and it is okay to admit that not every company or environment will work for you. Sometimes, trying to make the best out of the situation is just not enough. And there might not necessarily be anything that you can do about it.
If your job is making you miserable to the point that it’s affecting your health and personal life, it is probably time to resign. However, in order to prevent yourself from moving from one frustration to the other, if possible, try looking for other opportunities before resigning. Plan your next career step strategically, and leave with class.
