Hate your job? Don't quit it, fix it: Here's how
Do you spend all weekend dreading Monday morning? Is your ringtone Take This Job and Shove It?
Well, you've basically got two choices, says author and career coach Kerry Hannon: Quit — or quit whining and do something about it.
Unfortunately, for most of us, quitting really isn't an option. Paychecks and health insurance just aren't handy to go without. And switching careers, while it sounds enticing, often isn't all it's cracked up to be: You usually start at the bottom, make less and work harder than ever, Hannon says.
So fall back in love with your job. You started working there for a reason, you once enjoyed it, and with some strategic tweaks, you can again. Hannon outlines how to do that, with practical tips and strategies in her book Love Your Job: The New Rules for Career Happiness.
Q: How do people get stuck in jobs they hate?
A: Put simply, you tune out. I have found through my research that many workers tend to avoid new challenges on the job or assignments that feel like a stretch. They worry too much about whether they have the skills needed to take on a loftier new role. They fret about failing, so they cling grimly to doing only what they are already know and feel comfortably safe performing.
Just 30% of employees in the United States feel engaged at work, according to a report by Gallup. That's discouraging. But you don't have to be one of them.
Q: Why should you "suck it up" and stay in that job?
A: Even though the hiring picture is rosier than it has been in recent years, it's still not great for older workers, in particular. In the United States, unemployment generally lasts around 50 weeks for workers over 55 and 30 weeks for workers under 55, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
I have found through hundreds of meetings, interviews, and consultations with people seeking career advice that a big career shift isn't practical for many people — regardless of how miserable they are. There are sobering stumbling blocks. Inertia can hold you back. The fear of failure when you make a big career shift can be paralyzing.
And at the heart of it, the biggest roadblock is money. Not having employer-provided health insurance and retirement benefits is a genuine concern. Being your own boss sounds dreamy, but when you go the entrepreneurial route, you may also need to forgo a salary entirely for a year or more until your business gains traction.
Then too, when you start over in a new field, particularly if it's a non-profit, you can generally expect to earn less, at least initially.
Q: So, if the grass isn't greener on the other side of the cubicle then you should just plant some flowers?
A: When I press people who seek my advice on what they really want to do with their work lives, I have found that many don't actually feel the urge to make a huge career shift. They kind of like their job, and they just need to get their dance back.
You can fall back in love with your job again, even if you've been doing it for decades. There are ways to make old workplaces feel fresh, and learn ways to raise your hand that will open doors to new experiences and career moves. It's never too late to make your job a source of joy, as well as a paycheck.
Q: What's the first step you should take?
A: You may need to engage in some thoughtful sleuthing and inner soul-searching to figure where you can uncover new challenges and opportunities. You may need to dig deep down to tap the energy and determination needed to make the necessary moves. But even small ones have the potential to deliver big rewards.
Here are some of my top tips:
•Make a change — even a small one. Boredom is often at the root of unhappiness at work, although most people don't realize that's what it is. Challenge yourself to look for one area that would give you more joy at work and then make it happen.
•Declutter your office. When people feel sapped of energy, often it's because they're not clearing out as they go. Their inbox is overflowing. Their desk is a disaster. Decluttering is liberating and empowering. You're saying, "This is valuable, this is not." It's a physical, hands-on way to engage in making decisions about your life and what you want to do with it.
•Volunteer. Helping out at a non-profit gets you out of your own head and that swamp of negativity and lets you gain perspective on others' needs. When the volunteer effort is initiated by your employer, it builds relationships with co-workers (and perhaps your boss), as you work side-by-side.
•Raise your hand and ask for new duties. Dissect your current position to pinpoint a new responsibility you can add that will refresh your focus and maybe even make you a little nervous. Keep your ear to the ground to get the scoop on positions opening up or emerging projects. Then throw your name into the hat.
•Find ways to telecommute. When it comes to what makes people love their jobs, this is a whopper. Telecommuting employees are happier, more loyal and have fewer unscheduled absences, according to a survey by outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Q: Your book is geared toward older workers, but wouldn't your stick-it-out advice also apply to job-hopping Millennials?
A: This book is a handbook for all workers, whether you are 22 or 82. It's all about finding meaning and joy in the work you do every day. It's about feeling like you are relevant.
Regardless of our career stage, we all run up against difficult bosses, feeling stuck with no signs of promotion, feeling like we have no work-life balance, bored and burned-out. All of my advice in Love Your Job is geared to helping people making the most of where they are right now.
Q: How do you know when it's time to bail?
A: I have had to bail in my own career on a few occasions for a variety of reasons, but I always had something lined up first and was careful not to complain to my co-workers and give off an unhappy vibe before I made the leap.
In essence, I made the most of where I was and stayed positive on the job. In other words, I sucked it up while quietly networking, job searching and devising my plan without drawing attention to my quest.
Life is too short not to spend your time making a difference and finding meaning and joy in your daily work life. There's no escaping the fact that work is an integral factor for most of us when we hit adulthood, so make it work for you.
Q: You list 7 reasons why people work: identity, meaning, community, engagement, money, benefits and validation. Are any of those the "wrong" reasons?
A: These are all great reasons why we love our jobs. None are wrong, and if you're fortunate your job offers you many of those rewards. That's what it's all about. When you ask people what they love about their jobs, most people say it's the people they work with, the opportunities they have to always be learning new things, the flexibility to work remotely and have autonomy, the mission of the work their employer does — even if it's a for-profit company that makes a product that in some way benefits society.
To be honest, talk with enough happy workers and you'll find that the secret is feeling in control: having a job that offers you a bigger say in what goes on at work, more flexibility in scheduling day-to-day activities, and more opportunities to pursue professional passions and develop new skills.
Interestingly, money, although the chief reason most of us work, rarely comes up as the primary thing someone loves about his or her job. Even when someone gets a raise, that joy is pretty fleeting. On a daily basis, it comes down to these deeper relationships and inner growth we get from our work.
Sometimes, you have to put up with a few less than ideal aspects of a job in order to gain the other bright spots. The key is to create a situation where the good trumps the not so perfect parts.
My goal for this book is to provide readers with an interactive path to start their passage to a happier work life that is more than an income.