"I HATE MY JOB!"

I bet for many of you, this phrase has weaved itself into your daily vocabulary. For some reason, it is now automatically accepted that hating your job is the norm and actually liking your job is the new bizarre. Somehow, this universally acknowledged truth is practised by an increasingly number of employees who just accept this hatred because ‘it’s not like I can do anything about it’. These people just endure their role whilst simultaneously feeding their career misery. 

There are a few warning signs to consider if you think you fit in to this category, signs that anyone who’s ever been in a job they hate will relate to and signs that show you’re ready to move on.

Dreading the day

Have you ever started the day hoping your train will be delayed, wishing it would break down so your working day is ever so slightly shorter? If you’d rather spend that 30 minutes on a hot and stuffy train than at your office, there is definitely something wrong. Dreading the day like this is a pretty sure sign that it’s time to think about expanding your horizons and finding something more inspiring.

Letting the little things get to you

If you’re becoming too preoccupied with mundane annoyances like who didn’t bother refilling the printer with paper, who’s turn it is to do the coffee run, why you’re receiving one word answer emails from a colleague or why the air con is on AGAIN, then that’s probably not a good sign.

People always try placing the blame on anything other than the actual problem. We don’t want to admit that actually, we need to take initiative if we want to change because blaming it on these small contributing factors is much easier.

Becoming complacent

This one’s a classic. When you’re feeling demotivated and unhappy at work, you end up not caring and becoming complacent. This is a very bad habit because when people spot this in you, their trust dwindles. You may not be enjoying your job but making it blatantly obvious you don’t care is a big mistake – remember one day you will need a reference from this employer, it’s wise not to burn any bridges.

Clock watching

As an employer, I wouldn’t expect my employees to work around the clock and not enjoy a work/life balance. However, there’s nothing worse than a team of clock watchers. Counting down the seconds until 5:30pm is a bad sign because it means you’re not concentrating on your work, you’re not motivated to get it finished and you’re demonstrating a general disconnect to your role. This is when work becomes a chore and success doesn’t breed from this kind of attitude.

All of the above illustrate that subconsciously, you’ve checked out. Don’t devalue yourself – your brand – and carry on like everything is okay; address the situation. Don’t be afraid to talk to your boss about issues that you’re experiencing, actually having this conversation can make such a difference – that’s the crux of this blog.

So many people keep work problems to themselves when nine times out of ten, you’ll feel much better once you’ve shared your concerns. I think lots of employees assume that having this conversation will result in automatically being sacked but the truth is, illustrating any of the characteristics above and not doing anything about is more likely to get you fired than having a frank conversation with your boss.

If one of my employees came to me and said, James I start my journey to work wishing the train would break down so my day starts slightly later … firstly, I’d ask how long they’ve been feeling like this and secondly I’d ask why it’s taken them so long to talk to me about it.

The way I see it, now my employee has shared this with me, it’s my problem. Very few employers will disregard you – the majority will want to find a way to help for your own sanity but also as a learning curve for them – why are they such a bad business to work for?! Employers can learn a lot from employee feedback.

Remember; the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results – don’t just moan about your job on a daily basis, do something about it. Take control of your career.

Book James as your speaker now!