It’s that dreadful feeling that kicks in on Sunday. Sometimes it already starts on Saturday, the knowledge that Monday is just around the corner and you have to go back to your job.
If you find yourself saying “I hate my job” on the regular or consistently dreading Monday, then its time to take action. 35% of your total waking hours during a 50-year working-life period are spent at work each day. Therefore, your job represents a significant portion of your day and if you spend this time hating what you are doing, then this naturally has a significant impact on your overall happiness.
If you regularly feel like you hate your job, its time to take that feeling seriously and ask yourself why.
Step 1: Pinpoint Why You Hate Your Job
To address the issue you first need to determine what is affecting your happiness at work. While some issues can be resolved together with your employer, others might require taking a different path altogether.
The company culture sucks
A great boss or a great team can save a terrible job. But having a terrible company culture or a vindictive boss can turn a dream job into a nightmare.
If you enjoy the work but not the company culture or your team, see if you can switch positions within the company to another team where you would be a better fit. Another option is to see if you can move to another job in the same industry.
If the company culture is rotten and you are not in a position to do something about it, then make a plan to get out with a good reference while you can and move to a position where you will feel more comfortable.
It’s not worth staying in a job where your boss makes you dread going into work each day.
You’re not being paid enough
Let’s be honest, pay is a key indicator of your value to the company.
I’ve worked in jobs that I absolutely loved and where I also received feedback that my work was greatly appreciated and valued. However, these appreciations began to feel hollow when they were often repeated but the appreciation of my work was not reflected by my paycheck at the end of the day.
Pay is an important reflection of how much your employer values your work. Positive feedback only goes so far.
Even if you are working in your dream job or dream industry, not being paid appropriately can quickly lead to you feeling used and disenchanted with your job.
Luckily, this is something that you can raise and address with your employer.
If you feel like your value to the company is not reflected in your paycheck, then make an appointment with your boss and explain your position. Explain why the work you are doing is valuable to the company and why you deserve a pay rise.
Your work-life balance is non-existent
If you consistently have to work overtime or work on the weekends this can quickly lead to dissatisfaction with your job.
Of course in many jobs, there are periods where you can expect a higher workload, for example during the end of the financial year, or during the implementation stage of a project, but 100 hour weeks should not be the rule.
Evaluate whether the work load is a temporary situation or a primary feature of the job. Then you can decide what you need.
You can either negotiate with your boss for more time-off, flexible working conditions or ask for a pay rise to offset the high number of hours that you are expected to work.
Perhaps the high workload is a feature you are willing to endure for a certain period of time as you ‘pay your dues’ to break into a particular industry.
Many careers require their associates and analysts to work long hours but if you survive this stage you can use this as a launchpad to a higher position or other high-level careers.
You need to decide whether the job and the benefits you get from it are worth the high workload.
The work is boring and uninspiring
There are many cushy jobs where you just need to show-up each day, put in your hours and then go home at the end of the day.
However, if you are someone who wants to make a difference, or who has the ambition to make an impact, this kind of job may not be enough for you.
There is something about working in a job and with colleagues who are having an impact on the world around them that can be incredibly inspiring and that can bring you to strive for the next level.
It’s hard to motivate yourself if you think the job is pointless or if your coworkers are uninspired pencil pushers.
You may need to find a job that offers you a little bit more meaning to your work.
I’ve moved from a job that felt pointless to one where I felt I was helping shape the company’s future success.
The feeling that a job is fulfilling and rewarding can make such a massive difference and will help you get out of bed in the morning
The Job is Hard and You’re a Little Lost
Often at the beginning of a new job, there are teething problems. There’s a steep learning curve while you get up to speed on tasks and you’re bound to make mistakes.
This stage can feel challenging and maybe you feel a little out of your depth.
It’s normal to feel challenged in a new job. Take it as a good sign that you have gone beyond your comfort zone and that you are learning and gaining new skills.
But if you don’t feel adequately supported by your boss, maybe the instructions are vague or your boss doesn’t take the time to explain, then this situation can quickly lead to job dissatisfaction.
If you are not being given the tools that you need to do your job properly, then not only are you being set up for failure, but this is incredibly demoralising.
Figure out if your challenges on the new job are just teething issues or whether you need more support.
You’re in the wrong job
There’s really no way around this one. You took a job that you shouldn’t have and now you’re stuck in a situation that you don’t know how to get out of.
Now for the good news:
First, congrats on figuring out that this job is completely wrong for you!
Many people ignore their gut feelings and because of some sunk cost fallacy remain, trapped in a job that they hate. This doesn’t have to be you.
Second, you got this job and you will be able to find another job that fits you better.
Accept the learning that comes from taking the wrong job and move on.
Once you know that a job is completely wrong for you then its time to make a plan to get out.
Step 2: Assess Your Options and Take Action
If you’ve figured out the reason why you hate your job, then you are already halfway to the solution.
You can decide what is important to you and what you need in order to make this job work for you.
Do you need a pay rise, more support from your boss, extra training, flexible work hours or something else completely?
Decide what you need and then ask for it.
No one will give it to you if you don’t ask for it.
Yes, there is no guarantee that your demands will be fully met but at least you open the space for negotiation and your company can then decide what steps they need to take to keep you.
Quitting without beginning negotiations first, means shooting yourself in the foot.
If you just quit, you lose the opportunity to ask for more and your employer has no opportunity to improve the situation.
Find out what you need and ask for it.
If nothing will improve the situation, then move on to step 3 and make an exit plan.
Step 3: Determine Your Timeline and Make an Exit Plan
Once you have decided to leave your job, it’s vital to determine what your timeline is.
Quit immediately if your job is negatively impacting your mental or physical health or if you have another job lined up already.
Otherwise, resist the temptation to quit on short notice.
Call it the law of attraction or whatever, but for some reason its a lot easier to find another job while you are still employed.
Instead, sit down and determine your timeline.
If you plan to leave in the medium term then figure out what you need to do to make the most of the remaining time.
Rreach out to your personal and professional network and make yourself known. At work, make sure to take on projects where you can have clear achievements or ‘wins’ that you can highlight in your CV.
If you plan to leave sometime in the future once you have reached a certain level or gained certain skills, then make a plan on what you need to achieve during this time and what skills and experiences that you would like to take with you.
There is value in working your way up through an analyst program or staying in a corporate job that you don’t love for a few years if you can then take those skills and use them to later to follow your passion.
If you don’t like where you are, move.
You are not a tree.”