Do Not Settle for a Job You Hate

One day someone handed me a bumper sticker with the school crest on it. “Put this on your car,” she told me. I looked down at it but never put it on my car. Yeah I worked there

To me, bumper stickers are like tattoos. They are a permanent statement of allegiance to whatever is on them. Plus they’re a pain to remove. While this may seem trivial, this little circular bumper sticker on that day forced me to ask myself, “Mike, how long can you see yourself here?”

I looked around at my school and job, and saw that I was unhappy. Really unhappy. It was the worst teaching job of my career. I knew that I wanted to quit. I hated that job. I didn’t want to settle. And neither should you.

1. You are valuable.

You matter. Period. You have something amazing to offer a company or a school or an organization.

You have value to bring to someone or something. There is nothing like knowing that you can bring value to those around you and to the place in which you work. Your place of work should maximize the value you can bring. If you feel like you are underutilized or undervalued, find a new job!

2. You are a professional.  

I’ve sometimes found myself in a place where I am not treated like a professional, and it once led me to question whether the field of education was for me.

It led me to want to quit a teaching job I had at the time.

But instead of worrying about whether it’s me or if I’m cut out for this, I choose not to settle. I will not stay in a place that does not treat teachers like professionals. Kick the imposter syndrome to the curb! You are a professional and should be treated as one!

3. You have financial needs.

Do a personal audit. Does your role match your effort? Do your efforts match your compensation?

Because I work in education, many people never let me forget that it is a labor of love. There are many jobs that require us to give a lot of ourselves.

That is no excuse for you to be underpaid. You have to remember that, at the end of the day, even if money is not your main motivator, you have to eat and you have bills.

If money woes are causing you to hate your job, quit. Find one that pays you what you believe you are worth!

4. You are not indebted to anyone.

You owe no one! Not your hiring manager, not a client or a coworker.

When contemplating a job change you have to do what is best for you and your family before thinking about anything else.

What is going to bring you long term happiness? Do not worry about your replacement or Sally in accounting's opinion of you! Do what is best for you.

5. You deserve to find your passion again. 

I am a firm believer in the idea that passion drives excellent results. The more passionate you are about your work, the more time and effort you will likely spend on that work.

You deserve to find what you are passionate about and deserve to work through and for that passion!

You deserve to make an impact, not just a quick buck for a job you do not like!

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Thank you for reading!

I taught in a traditional school setting for 5 years before entering my current role where I design curriculum, plan projects and motivate students to break all of the rules. I'm interested in change and finding the next set of large innovations to the classroom through the use of adaptive learning technology and AI. The world is rapidly innovating and it is my belief that schools must follow that trend. Connect with me on LinkedIn and follow me on Twitter to keep having great conversations.