Are You Dissatisfied With Your Job?

Chances are good that at some point in your career, you develop feelings that relate to job dissatisfaction. Perhaps these feelings come from boredom, fatigue, too much stress or a bad boss. Discover how to alleviate some of these feelings, or find out when it may be time to switch gears and find another job or even change careers altogether.

Handling Your Feelings of Job Dissatisfaction

Maintain professional relationships with your co-workers, supervisors and colleagues, no matter how frustrated or dissatisfied you feel at the office. These workers can offer good references for you in the future, and those future positions can elevate your career to new heights. If you feel the need to vent, choose your audience wisely when talking to others about your job dissatisfaction. Family and friends, who do not necessarily have working relationships with your colleagues, may offer the best solution for when you need to talk about your feelings.

Levels of Dissatisfaction

Think of your job dissatisfaction in levels. The more advanced the levels become, the more action you may need to take to alleviate your dilemma.

Level 1: Apathy

At this level, you feel apathetic about your work. There's no excitement in it, and perhaps you feel bored. Fix this problem by paying more attention to daily tasks you enjoy, writing down a five-year plan that gets you thinking about the future, and talking to people who have roles that interest you. The goal of these activities is to help you focus on possibly earning a promotion and advancing in your professional goals.

Level 2: Growing Discontent

At this level, you feel a growing discontent for several weeks or months at a time. Make it a point to list things about your job that stress you out, such as daily duties, people you work with, work processes or the company culture. Once you identify what truly bothers you about work, take the initiative to solve your job dissatisfaction dilemma. For example, if what bothers you the most is that people keep interrupting you, then come up with a strategy that says you cannot have interruptions during a certain time of day.

Level 3: True Unhappiness

If you cannot solve your growing dissatisfaction by yourself, perhaps it's time to bring your concerns to your supervisor. Maybe your manager can offer a solution. Think about making a list of questions to ask yourself to narrow your focus about your unhappiness. You may discover that external factors outside the office may be causing your unrest at work. If you determine what's bothering you at this stage, see solving the problem as a way to implement personal growth.

Level 4: Hate Your Job

The highest level involves a point where you hate your job. At this point, it's time to change your job or even change careers. Maybe you feel underpaid and overworked, your boss does not appreciate you and you feel no one listens to your concerns. Update your resume, learn some new skills, make connections with your network on LinkedIn and explore other opportunities before you give up your current job.

Job dissatisfaction does not have to ruin your professional life. When you handle this feeling appropriately, you can gauge what steps to take before your situation gets out of hand.

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