What to Do When You Hate Your Job
Make it work.
We all know the adage about “the devil you know,” and while we don’t recommend settling for less (have you met us?) by staying in your current gig, a little gut check never hurts. When we are in our own WFH heads, we can convince ourselves that there’s no way to make our work situation more...workable. We are so sure that our employers would never, ever go for (insert desired job alteration here), but then again, we’ve seen a lot of pigs fly by this past year. So maybe that dream job you’re after is the one you already have, after all.
Get clear.
We recommend calling in a trusted advisor for this one—a coach, mentor, close friend or even your significant other—so long as they are somewhat detached and will be truthful with you. Talk through what you like about your job; list the things (all the things, whether shallow or substantive) you dislike. Brainstorm ways to get more of what you like and potential solutions to what you don’t like. Allow your advisor to challenge you. Remind yourself that every job has its petty grievances, so focus on the bigger fish. Your ability to be very specific really matters for both your own wellbeing and your ability to effectively communicate with the powers that be. It is also important to take a quick stock of what you’d be saying adios to—whether that is influence, earned trust, work bffs or the flexibility that comes with your tenure. Remember, you would have to rebuild all of this in a new environment.
Hold the threats.
No one operates at their best when backed in a corner, so don’t threaten your higher-ups with a resignation letter—especially if the goal is to make your current situation work. Instead, enter into a collaborative conversation about how you think you could be even more effective in your current role. Given the tight market for talent, it’s likely your employer is more open to changes than they may have been in the past, and they might even have solutions you hadn’t thought of yet. You may not get everything, though, so truly focus on the higher-priority items.
Make it rain.
If one of the big items on your list is pay, you may have to customize your approach. First, is there a set time that compensation matters are usually discussed? If you must have the conversation outside of the normal calendar, is there something that would warrant deviating from the usual process, such as tackling additional responsibility, tweaking your job description or recognizing a big project or win? If the business is struggling, we would suggest lowering your expectations as there may not be much room for improvement. But if everything is copacetic, you should be able to get something. We suggest you have a number that would make you happy (and be realistic). If you walk in quoting industry standards and competitor pay, you may get stuck in an argument over whether the comparisons are correct. Keep the conversation centered on your contributions and their value to your employer—not on debatable studies.
School up instead.
If after all of this, you still can’t upgrade your situation, but you still believe you should stay put for the time being, we suggest you learn on someone else’s dime. Think about where you’d like to be in a year and what skills you would need to get there. Learning that helps you in your current role and will pay off later is a win-win. So, what do you want to know? Concurrently, put on your to-do list: link in and network away. Learning about other organizations and opportunities will pay off when the day comes and you’re ready to make a move.
