We spend a third of our adult life working and traveling to work. When you hate your job, you should do something about it. You should do something now now. There is no reason to wait, and in this article I will try to outline four options you have when you hate your job.
Option no. 1: Change your employer
Nearly all English speaking countries on Earth experience economic growth right now. Jobs are plentiful, and companies struggle to hire new people–for any jobs, any field.
This is excellent news for you, becasue you can choose. Do not be afraid of leaving your job and losing your present stream of income. You will easily find a new job–regardless of your preference. But before you jump after the first available opportunity, you should think about a few points.
Identify the reason for your “hate”, and what exactly you do hate
Before you can change your job successfully, you must understand the root of the original problem. What exactly is it that you hate about your present job?
- Do you dislike the basic nature of the job?
- Do you hate to do some of your daily duties?
- Do you hate your colleagues, struggle to build good relationship with them?
- Or do you despise the entire system of corporation, running the rat race and getting so little as a reward?
Think about it for a while, and try to understand what exactly you hate about your job. Be honest to yourself. Then you can progress to the next step.
Find a better match for you
It makes no sense to quit working for IBM and join AT&T. Though both of them do something different, these big corporations are pretty much the same, in terms of working culture, and the fact that they will degrade you to a trained monkey with their endless processes and policies, and a very limited responsibility you will have in job.
The same principle applies if you worked as a waitress in one restaurant, hated the job, and simply applied with another one, with similar clientele and atmosphere. I hope you got the point.
Look for a real difference, not for a minor change…
Option no. 2: Opt for internal relocation
If you can’t overcome your fear of losing a job and staying without regular income for a short period of time, you should consider applying for internal relocation.
In this case (and only in this one), working for a big corporation is a benefit. Big corporations can relocate you within the same branch of the company (to a different team or department), but they can also send you to another country. New faces and new places can do wonders for you.
But think carefully before deciding for this option–new faces and new places also mean that you will lose daily contact with those faces and places which you like (outside of your work).
Give it a go and ask one of the managers. Try to go as high up the company ladder as possible–do not ask your direct supervisor. In fact you have nothing to lose. If they disagree to relocate you, you can simply opt for option no.1 (changing your employer), or one of the two other options I will describe in this article.
Option no. 3: Start working for yourself
In many cases people hate their jobs simply becasue they would hate any job. The concept of employment is not the right framework for them. Easy peasy–you simply leave the job and enjoy life. 🙂
But it’s not so simple. You have to live from something, you have to earn money (unless you decide to live on a street, or as a hermit in a cave somewhere in the woods, or Tibetan highlands, or unless your father is extremely rich and will support you).
Self employment will change the dynamics of your life completely. You will have to learn a lot of new things, and you will be the boss of your own schedule. This is not always easy, since people are lazy creatures, and most aspiring freelancers are not strict enough with their schedule.
On the other hand, now you have more options than ever. Sites such as freelancer.com, or upwork.com offer you an opportunity to find clients, and start working on your own, with very little initial costs.
Think carefully about all pros and cons. 80 % of new businesses (and freelancers) won’t survive first five years in business, and will end up in bankruptcy. If you lack courage, or self discipline, I do not suggest you to pursue the career of a freelancer or entrepreneur.
But if you have both of them, and a solid business plan on your mind (which can relate to the job you had before, you can utilize the knowledge and connections), you may succeed, and in a few years enjoy a freedom you’ve never dared to dream about…
Option no.4: Change your mindset
Two girls work in a same restaurant. One hates her job and guests can feel it. She thinks that she deserves something better from life. She thinks she should sit in a comfortable office and manage other people.
The other waitress, a refugee from Sudan, literally shines in work. She enjoys talking with the customers of the restaurant, and she is grateful for the opportunity to work there–which pays twenty times better than any job in her native country would pay her.
The job is the same, but their mindset is completely different.How can it be? The answer is simple:
Negativity–one of the diseases of our modern civilization.
Most people are never satisfied in their life. They always want more. They look up to celebrities who earn millions and they envy their fortune. They envy even their neighbors.
When they are single, they envy people who are married. When they get married and understand the responsibilities marriage brings to their life, they envy the freedom of people who are single. And it’s the same with everything else.
It’s not about their life (or job) conditions–the problem is rooted in their mind, in the way the perceive the world around them.
Learn to be grateful
If you found yourself in my words, you should work on your mindset, and expectations.
Actually if you read this article on a screen of a decent laptop, and sit in a warmth of a comfortable house, and have access to drinkable water, you already belong to the lucky people of the world.Â
You do not have to fight for survival, or spend all your days looking for food. You have some options. You can enjoy your time on Earth. You should remind yourself these things often, and be grateful for them. Billions of people, and trillions of other animals, are not as lucky as you are. And they never will be.
Don’t think about what you do not have (and some others do)—enjoy what you do have. Billions of people are not as lucky as you…
Summary
If you hate your job, you should change something about it immediately. Life is a precious gift, and you should not spend it in hate.
Identify the root of the problem, and address it. Changing the job is the easiest solution, but it will work only in some instances. Think about your situation carefully, and be honest with yourself. If the problem lies in your own mind, and perception of the world, only changing your mindset will solve your problem.
This is not easy, and takes some time. But you can make it.
I wish you good luck!
May also interest you:
- What job is right for me? Starting your professional career? Deciding about your studies? Or feeling unhappy in your present occupation? The article should help you to find your true calling in life.
- New career ideas for everyone – Wanting to start afresh? Check the list of careers you can start anytime, regardless of your education or previous experience.
- Career networking tips – Learn how to use the power of your connections to get a new career.
