One of the side effects of the harsh job market is that many people are taking jobs that they really don't want in order to pay the bills. And, while this is a necessary choice for many people, it can be tough to go to work every day when you don't like the job. Everyone has, at one time or another, worked at a job they hated and wished for better opportunities, so if you are in that position, don't think that you are alone.
No matter how long you end up needing to work at a job you don't like, there are some things you can do to make it easier to survive, and you might even find that it isn't as bad as you thought. Here are some tips that can help:
- Remember why you took the job – Think about the time it took to find the job, and how it felt when you received the job offer. Perhaps you were excited just to be able to get back into the workplace and earn a paycheck, or maybe you thought the job would teach you some new skills. Whatever the reason, try not to forget it, because it is the reason you are doing this. It is easy to get caught up in the day to day unhappiness, but keep your chin up and your mind focused on the reasons you are doing it and where you want to go and those little stresses won't seem as overwhelming.
- Use it as practice to decide what you want and need – Sometimes working a job you hate can be a blessing in disguise. It gives you a chance to really figure out what you need from a job in order to be happy. So, when you are feeling especially miserable, write down in a notebook the specific things that are making you unhappy. Are you co-workers loud when you are trying to focus? Maybe your boss likes to micro-manage the staff? Are the hours difficult for you? This will tell you that you need a workplace that is quiet, with more self-management and different working hours. When you write these things down on paper, you can see what things you need from your next job and it will give you a good starting point for your job search.
- Know why you are staying – Why are you staying at a job you hate? When you know the answer to this question, it makes it much easier to find a way to be happy with it. Maybe the job is the best one for your skills? Maybe it is the best one you could find that paid enough to support your family? It could be as simple as they provide great benefits. Whatever the reason, just knowing and reminding yourself of why you stay will help.
- Make the choice – Many people get depressed or stuck in a rut and really hate their jobs. It is like a part of them dies and they quit, but keep showing up for work. When you get to this place, it is really, really hard to climb out and find a way to be happy with your job. Your performance suffers along with your morale. So, don't let this happen to you. If you have to stay in a job you don't like, make the choice to stay, rather than quitting on the inside.
Working at a job you don't like is hard, and if you don't take care of yourself and your mental state, it is easy to get sucked into a spiral of negativity. Once you are there, everything else starts to suffer. You take out your stress on friends and family, you have lower tolerance for stress in your family life, your work performance suffers and you can even develop health problems. So, if you can't find a better job and need to stay where you are, make the choice to do whatever you can to learn to like it or at the least, learn to be happy about some part of your job. Whatever you do, remember that it is your choice. Choose to be happy.
Are you looking for a job in Education? Be sure to visit EducationJobSite.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.
Register or sign in today!