I hate my job! Have you ever said that?
Chances are if youve held any position for any length of time at all, youve uttered the wordsI hate my job.It seems like a prevailing attitude these days.
Let me contrast hating your job from pursuingearly retirementorfinancial freedom because you want to have more control over your time and your life. Though some have said they hate their jobs, most want to take more control of their lives and put together a plan to get there sooner rather than later.
Im talking about those of us who say I hate my job but feel like they cant do anything about it.
There are a lot of reasons for being unhappy with our jobs. Heres a shortlist too many meetings, bad bosses, not enough vacation time, long hours, not appreciated, too much stress, not fulfilling, or not what matches my education.
Can I be honest with you? As the saying goes, these are first world problems. Sometimes I think we forget how good we have it. Ill spare you the soapbox about how good we have it in this country relative to the rest of the world. And Im certainly not suggesting that anyone should stay in a job thats causing them stress that leads to health problems.
Heres the thing that bothers me. I think we have lost perspective on work. That scares me a bit. If everyone hated their jobs and decided to quit, where would that leave the economy? It would be a mess. Thankfully, not everyone quits their jobs.
But should they? What should we do if we find ourselves in an unbearable job situation? Should we tell our boss to shove it? Stick it out?
Thats what I want to talk about in this post.
Polls and studies tell us that the vast majority of people hate their jobs. A couple of years ago, in 2017, Gallup conducted a survey on workplace happiness. In reality, it was about workplace unhappiness. The title of the study,The Worlds Broken Workplace, says it all. The results show that a staggering 85% of the workers of the world say they hate their jobs. Im not making this up. Its not that they dont like their jobs. They say they hate them.
The reason they cite the most? They hate their boss. Heres a quote from the article:
According to Gallups World Poll, many people in the world hate their job and especially their bossEmployees everywhere dont necessarily hate the company or organization they work for as much as they do their boss. Employees
Wow! And there is more:
Only 15% of the worlds one billion full-time workers are engaged at work. It is significantly better in the U.S., at around 30% engaged, but this still means that roughly 70% of American workers arent engaged. It would change the world if we did better.
Whichever study you choose to use, the evidence is clear. People are unhappy with their jobs!
I hesitate to put this first. But I understand the reality. Many of you cant see your way out of ever being happy with your current job situation. So, lets look at some ways you can find another job.
First, get thatkiller resume ready. The resume should be your best first impression. Spend time getting that together. Consult an expert if you think that will help. Have others look it over and make suggestions. Dont skimp on this step. Most get passed over. Yours needs to stand out. Make sure it does.
If youre in a job that pays $100k or more, Ladders is your best option. You can post your resume there, get into networking groups, and so much more. Even if youre not looking for a $100k plus job, its a great site to get educated on the process.
Indeed.comis another excellent place to look. Their site is much more broad-based. YOu can enter keywords into a search box describing the kinds of jobs you want. Uploading your resume is a simple process. They have profiles of numerous companies you can research. You can search by salary range, income, location, and many more.
LinkedInis another great job search site. Go to theJobs taband search for the jobs you want. Here, you can leverage your connections, get introductions, and much more.
These three would be my top choices to start the job search.
With that out of the way, I would suggest this not be your first step. Ill tell you why when I cover the next few things to do.
Im probably stepping into some dangerous territory here with this one. But if we dont do some self-reflection when things arent going our way, we are more prone to bad decisions.
Have you noticed it? The blame game is alive and well. It seems like most of us dont want to take responsibility for our actions. Thats especially true when it comes to our mistakes. Its much easier to find fault in someone else. In reality, the responsibility may not be with anyones mistake. It may have everything to do withour mindset.
Carol Dweck, who wrote a great book on the topic of mindset,Mindset, The New Psychology of Success, says the following:
Im probably stepping into some dangerous territory here with this one. But if we dont do some self-reflection when things arent going our way, we are more prone to bad decisions.
Have you noticed it? The blame game is alive and well. It seems like most of us dont want to take responsibility for our actions. Thats especially true when it comes to our mistakes. Its much easier to find fault in someone else. In reality, the responsibility may not be with anyones mistake. It may have everything to do withour mindset.
Carol Dweck, who wrote a great book on the topic of mindset,Mindset, The New Psychology of Success, says the following:
In one world, effort is a bad thing.It, like failure, means youre not smart or talented.If you were, you wouldnt need effort.In the other world, effort is what makes you smart or talented.
Your Mindset
The latter description is the growth mindset. The former is a fixed mindset. If you have a fixed mindset in life, you will likely be miserable in your job. Heres how I described it in anarticle on the subject of mindset:
People with a fixed mindset believe their essential qualities,like talents and intelligence, are fixed traits.Rather than spending their time developing them, they spend time documenting their ability or knowledge.They believe their talent and intelligence are the keys to their success.Hard work has no bearing on it.Dr. Dweck says for those with a fixed mindset,its not enough just to succeed.You have to be flawless.Its the belief that says if youve got it, youve got it.If you dont, you dont.
Its a dangerous perfectionist mindset. Do you look at yourself as being flawless? If so, how do you think that impacts those around you at work? Be willing to examine yourself critically to look at your role in your unhappiness at work. People with a growth mindset are always looking for ways to learn and grow.
As yourself some of the following questions.
If youre one who says I hate my job, take a look at what it is you hate about it. Is it the area of the company? Do you hate your boss? Is the work boring? If you could do something else with the company, what would it be?
If, after self-reflection, you feel youve done everything you can, its time to talk to your boss. Before you do, though, get yourself in the right frame of mind. If you go in with an attitude, or with an accusing tone, it wont go well for you. If youre angry and cant get rid of that anger, dont have the conversation until youve settled down. Often, the root of the problems at the workplace comes down to communication.
Im not saying your boss isnt a jerk. He or she very well be a jerk. What I am saying is that it doesnt mean they arent willing to change. Think about what you want to say before setting up the meeting. Write down your thoughts. Talk to your spouse, partner, significant other, or a good friend. Vet it out with someone you trust. Be careful when you do that to look critically at both sides of the issue. There are always two sides to every story. As you contemplate the conversation, try to get a feel for your bosss side of the story. Look at things from their perspective.
Dont turn assumptions based on your feelings into facts. Facts are just that facts. Just because you think you know why someone does something, that doesnt make it a fact. Its an opinion. Look at the other possibilities outside of what you think.
Everyone is fighting a battle. Someone who is a jerk is likely an unhappy person. They have baggage you dont know about. You have baggage they dont know about. Understanding that aspect of the human condition is helpful when preparing to have tough conversations.
Lets say that, after answering the previous questions, you find there may be another place in the company thats a better fit. Do you have the skills or education to move into that position? If not, what would it take to get those skills?
Once you have the answer to that question, put together a plan to get that education. Most companies nowadays offer assistance to advance your knowledge. Most want to help those who wish to further their careers with their company. Pursue that education and make yourself a better employee.If it turns out that the job you want and the skills you need to get it is outside of your current company, put together a plan to get those skills or that education.
According to thePew Research studyreferenced earlier, people in management are much more likely to be satisfied with their jobs. They are salaried employees with excellent benefits as part of the job. People in retail, manual operations have fewer benefits and lower job satisfaction. The survey shows that 59% of people earning $75,000 or more in salary say they are very satisfied with their current job.
Get the additional skills, degree, or certification you need to move into the higher-paying jobs. Work on your income by working on your education and skills.
Finding other sources of income may sound far-fetched if youre miserable in your current job and working long, stressful hours. For a refresher, go back to #2 and check on your mindset. Were going to assume you want to get better and improve your position.Finding financial independencebrings options to your life. Having multiple sources of income is one of the best paths to get there.
Sides hustles for busy peopleare possible. There are numerous ways to make money that dont take a lot of time. Not sure where to start? I get it. If youre one of those people, who say I hate my job and you feel stuck, thinking about side hustles can be difficult. If that describes you, please dont give up hope. Whether youre an introvert, extrovert, or a combination of both (yes, thats possible), there are numerous ways toearn side income.
The most successful people who retire comfortably have more than one source of income. It may be frominvestments in real estate,dividend-paying stocks, businesses, or a simple part-time job. You would be surprised how little money and time it takes to get started in some of these side hustles or investments.
Dont think its impossible because you dont have the time or skills. You have plenty of both. Focusing on a plan to create additional income is a marathon, not a spring. It wont get you out of the job you hate tomorrow.
However, it might make it easier to put up with or feel better about it if you know you have a plan to move away.
I am keenly aware that anyone reading this whos in the I hate my job mindset, might find this oversimplified. Id go so far as to say it might even piss you off. I mean, no one wants to hear about the changes and steps they need to take to improve a difficult job situation. Its much easier to put the onus on another person. Perhaps you put it on the company, the culture, or all of these things.
Heres what I know. There is one and only one thing we can control in these kinds of situations. No, it isnt our boss. Nor is it the companys management (though they may be horrible). It isnt the work environment. It isnt any of those things. You know where Im going with this. The one thing we can control is us. We cant control our circumstances, only how we react and respond to them.
Its our choice. We can stay stuck in the mindset of trying to force change on others. Or we can take matters into our own hands and change the one thing we can control.
Make no mistake. Its easier said than done. I realize that. We will have a much better chance for success when the focus of the change and examination is on ourselves, rather than the one we think is the reason for our misery.
There is a lot more that we could say about this kind of situation. I like to keep things simple. The five items listed here are, at the very least, a starting point to help get you unstuck.
This article first appeared on The Money Mix.
See the original post here:
What can I do if I hate my job? Here are 5 things - Ladders
- Make Money from Images, Documents and Photos Uploading - December 18th, 2016 [December 18th, 2016]
- Immortal but Damned to Hell on Earth - The Atlantic - January 29th, 2017 [January 29th, 2017]
- Hands on review: Zencastr podcast maker - The Sydney Morning Herald - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- How to keep your children safe online as it's revealed half of six-year-olds use the internet - Mirror.co.uk - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Yetunde Olasiyan: Between Having a Voice & the Need to Show Off on Social Media - Bella Naija - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- How a WiFi Pilot Program Is Helping Students in the Rio Grande Valley - KUT - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- These Shows Understand Why TV Cannot Survive Without The Internet And They're Doing Something About It - Decider - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- 10 reasons to not miss John Bender at El Club this weekend - Detroit Metro Times - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Ideal Flatmate promises to stamp out all roommate worries - The Tech Portal - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Five ways to ensure your kids are safe as they go 'online' - The Standard (press release) - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- How to improve your LinkedIn profile - ArabianBusiness.com - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Deal: New customers can get Google Play Music and YouTube Red free for 4 months - Android Authority (blog) - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Breaking Down Global Silos (Part 2): Lessons Learned from Conflict - Spend Matters - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- Issa Rae New Series Giants Is A Must Watch - CampusLATELY (blog) - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Fake news, who benefits? - Shelbyville Times-Gazette (blog) - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- GST beneficial for traders, says official - The Hindu - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- It's time to get tech-savvy with The Mind Lab by Unitec! - Scoop.co.nz - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- 'Being an Irish author is more of a Grimm fairytale than a Cinderella story' - Irish Times - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- Barbie becomes a hologram version of herself - TechCrunch - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- PLYMOUTH BUSINESS EXPANSION: MycomPETibility.com goes nationwide - Wicked Local Kingston - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- The three reasons YouTubers keep imploding, from a YouTuber - Polygon - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- SnailBlitz 2017: Citizen Scientists Wanted - NBC Southern California - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- Nikon D5600 Review: Hoping to Make Photo Transfers a Snap - Huffington Post - February 27th, 2017 [February 27th, 2017]
- Appealing Social Security Decisions Online - CBN News - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- How to file your social security appeal online - WZZM13.com - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- Meteor is OpenSignal's own speed test app - SlashGear - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- Data limits are the worsthere's how to stay under yours - Popular Science - March 3rd, 2017 [March 3rd, 2017]
- Overcome problems with public cloud storage providers - TechTarget - March 3rd, 2017 [March 3rd, 2017]
- When Words Beget Blows - Outlook India - March 4th, 2017 [March 4th, 2017]
- A man with vitiligo who was called 'zebra' by bullies has defied their cruel comments by becoming a model - The Sun - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- Shark Tank's Robert Herjavec coaches kids to fuel entrepreneurial spirit - VentureBeat - March 9th, 2017 [March 9th, 2017]
- Everything new in Stellaris: Utopia, one of Paradox's biggest game updates ever - PC Gamer - March 10th, 2017 [March 10th, 2017]
- IN TRANSIT: The Idol Maker - Mumbai Mirror - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- Paytm to continue free uploading of money - Business Standard - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- The perils and false rewards of parenting in the era of 'digi-discipline' - Minnesota Public Radio News - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Showtime docu-series sees the 'Dark' side of tech - LA Daily News - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Elon Musk: Australian man pens desperate letter to download his brain - NEWS.com.au - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- How Vestas Wind Systems used outsourced machine learning to transform contract management - Diginomica - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- Wednesday Web Artist of the Week: Eva Papamargariti - ArtSlant - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- Your Obsolete Brain: Life and Death in the Age of Superintelligent Machines - Digital Journal - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- Under Armour launches its first customisable shoes - just-style.com (subscription) - June 8th, 2017 [June 8th, 2017]
- I Don't Care What You Think, I Love My Facial Birthmark - SELF - June 9th, 2017 [June 9th, 2017]
- Cable: Where Are We Headed After This Political Meltdown? - Seeking Alpha - June 9th, 2017 [June 9th, 2017]
- Best Screen Recorders Top 10 Screen Capture Software - Gazette Review - June 10th, 2017 [June 10th, 2017]
- Nigeria just got a verified Twitter handle - TechCabal - June 12th, 2017 [June 12th, 2017]
- Just keep pinning: why your business should be on Pinterest - Cambridge Network - June 12th, 2017 [June 12th, 2017]
- Track-by-Track of Paramore's 'Riot!' Read Through Emo Teen Memories - Noisey - June 13th, 2017 [June 13th, 2017]
- Decision day for Go Forward Pine Bluff - Pine Bluff Commercial - June 13th, 2017 [June 13th, 2017]
- Addressing rape culture - News24 - June 14th, 2017 [June 14th, 2017]
- Italy's Samantha Cristoforetti Says Being a Good Astronaut is All About Teamwork - Fortune - June 16th, 2017 [June 16th, 2017]
- Google Drive will soon make it easy to Backup and Sync PCs, Macs - SlashGear - June 16th, 2017 [June 16th, 2017]
- What's worse than getting phished? Getting phished *and* sending a selfie of your Photo ID and credit card - Graham Cluley Security News - June 17th, 2017 [June 17th, 2017]
- Track Of The Day 16/6 - Maximillian - Clash Magazine - June 17th, 2017 [June 17th, 2017]
- AROUND TOWN: GOP chairman questions Ossoff's London office - MDJOnline.com - June 20th, 2017 [June 20th, 2017]
- RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY/INNOVATION: ITS Fiber brings fast connections, data center services to local business - TCPalm - June 20th, 2017 [June 20th, 2017]
- Fiberlink Internet Packages & Prices 2017 - TechJuice (press release) (blog) - June 20th, 2017 [June 20th, 2017]
- CS Editors: Creating Content - Security Sales & Integration - June 20th, 2017 [June 20th, 2017]
- How to post a GIF to Facebook - Tech Advisor (registration) - June 21st, 2017 [June 21st, 2017]
- The Living Vampire / Real Vampire FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) - HuffPost - June 21st, 2017 [June 21st, 2017]
- Facebook Is Introducing New Tools to Protect Women in India - Fortune - June 21st, 2017 [June 21st, 2017]
- Mum drops off daughter at college then sends her hilarious texts with football team - NEWS.com.au - June 22nd, 2017 [June 22nd, 2017]
- Is Chrome OS right for you? A 3-question quiz to find out - Computerworld - June 22nd, 2017 [June 22nd, 2017]
- Facebook wants to stop creeps from downloading your profile picture - TNW - June 23rd, 2017 [June 23rd, 2017]
- Action and Emotion - lareviewofbooks - June 26th, 2017 [June 26th, 2017]
- 6 ways to be more hirable and 1 that could land a job today - Deseret News - June 27th, 2017 [June 27th, 2017]
- Searching for a Career? Set up a Free Profile at AutoCareCareers.org - PR Newswire (press release) - June 27th, 2017 [June 27th, 2017]
- Industry Job Seekers Can Set Up A Free Profile At AutoCareCareers.Org - AftermarketNews.com (AMN) - June 29th, 2017 [June 29th, 2017]
- Steve Mitchell The Mind of Watercolor Blog - June 29th, 2017 [June 29th, 2017]
- How to Upload to Google Drive - Cloudwards - July 1st, 2017 [July 1st, 2017]
- Stevie Ryan, YouTube personality, found dead at home - Blasting News - July 4th, 2017 [July 4th, 2017]
- 5 tips to a delicious food photo - Orlando Sentinel - July 5th, 2017 [July 5th, 2017]
- Gordon Hayward the best Jazz wing player of all time? Not what the numbers say. - SLC Dunk - July 5th, 2017 [July 5th, 2017]
- 36 Years of Loretta's - Racer X Online - July 6th, 2017 [July 6th, 2017]
- How to Work on Your Laptop at a Coffee Shop Without Being a Jerk - Lifehacker - July 8th, 2017 [July 8th, 2017]
- There's a new most-viewed Youtube video, pushing Gangnam Style off the top spot - Buzz.ie - July 12th, 2017 [July 12th, 2017]
- How to prevent bandwidth throttling with a VPN - T3 - July 14th, 2017 [July 14th, 2017]
- Google will now let you back up your entire computer for FREE on its servers - Mirror.co.uk - July 15th, 2017 [July 15th, 2017]
- Google Drive Backup and Sync lets you backup your entire computer: Here's how it works - BGR India - July 17th, 2017 [July 17th, 2017]
- Why Mythology Still Matters: Wisdom from Game of Thrones' 'Dragonstone' - Big Think - July 17th, 2017 [July 17th, 2017]
- Mum somehow manages to convince her daughter her nipple's fallen off in hilarious text exchange - Metro - July 18th, 2017 [July 18th, 2017]