I hate my job, I hate my job, I HATE MY JOB- said you.
It's safe to say that everyone from time to time can dislike their job. As we know all careers have their high and low moments, but if you are starting to feel paralysed by anxiousness on a Sunday evening, and then find yourself wishing your weeks away, you know something has to change.
Did you know anywhere from 20%-40% of people report hating their job, that’s a truly shocking number, especially when you think that we spend most of our lives working!
With mental health being such a prominent topic of conversation, it’s important to be aware just how much our jobs affect our overall well-being and how they can be a main cause for depression and anxiety. One study reported by Inc. Magazine surveyed those in their 20s and 30s. Of those who reported hating their job, almost 50 percent developed mental health issues by their early 40s. Some studies even suggest being unemployed is better for your health than being in a job you hate.
The first thing to acknowledge is that your life doesn’t suck, your job does!
You might have already sought advice from fellow employees, loved ones and friends outside of work and no doubt they would have told you to quit already. Before you do, I would consider all options… yes you have options!
1. Figure out WHY you hate your job- I would suggest making a note of everything you hate during the week and revisit them to assess whether these can be changed.
Use a checklist (like the one below) and ask yourself, "I hate my job because"
Work environment/company culture
Poor work/life balance
I hate my manager
I hate my colleagues
Lack of pay/rewards/benefits
Lack of opportunities to grow
Job role- the work itself
Structure or lack thereof
Once you have your checklist, you now need to ask yourself the question,
"What would have to change for me to enjoy this job?"
Decide whether these problems are fixable, if not, then you need to seriously consider searching for new employment.
Decided to quit? Great 🙌 🍾 Do you feel better? Probably not 😬
You're probably experiencing different waves of emotions now from feeling overwhelmed, scared, stressed and if that wasn’t enough your mind is now playing tricks on you, making up perfectly logical excuses to why in fact its better for you to stay where you are instead of leaving, can you relate?
“I want to quit but it’s not the right time”, “I don’t have another job lined up”, “Things might get better”, “What if I’m not good enough to get the job I want” This can go on and on and on.
The time is NOW! If it’s any reassurance, most people that quit say they wished they had done it sooner. "Don't let fear govern your decisions."-Nicholas Sparks
Quitting is scary but if we didn’t do things because we were scared, we would all live a very sad life. My advice would be to plan an exit strategy from your current employment, ‘quit smart’ as they say.
How do you quit smart?
Set a date you want to be out of the company, writing this date down will make it that more real.
Go back on the job market, update your CV and your LinkedIn profile, begin to ask for recommendations from colleagues, clients and managers.
Register with recruitment agencies, create profiles on recruitment advertising boards to get your CV out there.
Begin your search and connect with prospective companies and hiring managers on LinkedIn.
Prepare yourself financially-make a monthly budget, put aside savings to ensure you are covered financially for a couple of months as back up.
Tell your employer- set up a meeting and hand in your notice face to face. Although this might be nerve-wracking; it is the most professional and respectful thing to do.
Keep it positive- There is no need to go into detail about why you hate your job or why you are leaving. Try to keep things amicable and positive, keep in mind that you will want to get a recommendation letter from your employer.
And finally, have faith! Believe you can and you are half way there!