1. I Hate My Job: Does This Sound Like Something You Say?
I hate my job.
Do you find yourself saying this on a regular basis?
Do you dread having to face another day at work?
Do you sometimes wish you'd be fired or laid off just to escape your daily prison?
If so, join the club. You might be surprised how many people spend years (and years and years...)
staying in the same job that they hate.
If you constantly say to yourself "I hate my job" then it's time you did something about it.
And if you're the type of person who keeps telling your friends "I hate my job" and expecting that
they will care, you'd really better start doing something about it before you lose all your friends. No
one likes to hang around a whiner especially one who says the same thing over and over again
without doing anything to fix it.
If you truly hate your job, your personal life can suffer as a result and you can spiral into
depression and a feeling of helplessness especially if you can't see any other options to pursue.
As a recruiter, I can understand why people say "I hate my job" but I can't understand why they
expect me to feel sorry for them when they do nothing to change things!
To fix this situation, first figure out what it is that you hate about your job and either fix it or start
looking for a new job. If you truly hate your job, you'll do something about it rather than just talking
about it.
Who wants to spend 8 hours plus per day doing something they hate just to get a check?
Let's look at a list of possible statements you might be making that show specifically what it is that
you hate about your job:
I hate my job. No particular reason needed, you just hate your job. Are you proud of your work?
Are there any accomplishments you are happy with? If not, maybe you don't just need a new job,
you need a new career. Start looking outside your current industry. Have you considered self-
employment?
I hate my job because I'm underpaid: Easy to fix. Ask for a raise. In this case you don't really hate
your job, you hate the fact that you are underpaid at least in your mind. If you work for a
notoriously cheap company, you might need to switch companies. If you work in an industry that
doesn't make its employees rich, you might need to change industries. Money isn't the best reason
to switch jobs but if your salary doesn't match your lifestyle, something has to change.
I hate my job because it's boring: Perhaps you have become underemployed. If you are bored,
you might not be utilizing all the skills you have or you may have finally realized you are in the
wrong industry. Think of what makes you happy and then figure out how you can get paid to do it. I
like that old adage that says that if you find a job that you love, you'll never work a day in your life.
I hate my job because I hate my boss/co-workers/company: Certainly, you can't pick your boss or
co-workers but you can pick the company you work for. We won't always get along with everyone
we work with so it's not uncommon to want to switch jobs because of personal conflicts with
others. Be careful though: if you find that you have trouble getting along with people at every job
you have, maybe it's not the other people that are the problem.
2. I hate my job but I can't quit: Perhaps it's the stock options, maybe it's the nice expense account
and company car, maybe it's the high salary that you know you won't be able to get from another
company if you switch Jobs. Sometimes "golden handcuffs" prevent people from switching jobs
that they hate because they'd have to give up too much if they quit. Then again, I've seen
instances of people leaving high-paying jobs that they hated to accept lower paying jobs that they
are much happier with. You might need to prioritize and figure out what is more important: the
money or your happiness. Ideally you'll have both of course but maybe this is impossible in your
current job.
I hate my job because I'm embarrassed of what I do: Maybe you work in an industry that you've
realized does not fit your morals. Maybe you feel embarrassed to discuss your job or industry with
friends who you feel have better jobs that you do. I've certainly come across enough job searchers
who are ashamed to discuss their job with others. Personally, I think that as long as you are doing
something ethical that you like and can earn a reasonable living from, there is nothing to be
ashamed of. Not everyone thinks this way though. Before making any career-altering decisions,
remember that your job must make you happy, not other people.
Working at a job you hate is no way to spend a significant part of your life. If you truly hate your
job, you will no doubt see other aspects of your life suffer, too.
Before you can fix the problem of constantly saying "I hate my job" you need to figure out what it is
specifically that you hate about it.
Then you can decide what to do to fix it or if it is not fixable, what you are going to be doing next
for a living.
Once you do this, you will no longer have to say "I hate my job" and you'll be happier and more
prosperous because of it.
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