Do you ever find yourself saying "I hate my job?"
Everyone has had a job where it's a struggle to get out of bed in the morning and you eventually arrive at your desk struggling to find the motivation to work.
There can be many reasons why you hate your job, ranging from a terrible boss to an uncooperative team. Sometimes the reasons why you are feeling miserable in the workplace can be more subtle, many of which you may not even realise are happening.
Here are a list of the top ten reasons why it may be time to start searching for a new job.
I hate my job: 1. You are working till stupid-o’clock
You are working late, losing weekends and yet you still feel that you’re not moving forward in your job or workload. Worst still is that you may be picking up the slack from colleagues or even your boss.
Or maybe that boss isn’t giving you the recognition you feel you deserve for going that extra mile? Everybody likes to feel valued at work, so if you feel like your efforts are all in vain and that the company doesn’t value you, then perhaps it’s time to move on.
I hate my job: 2. Bored, Bored, Bored
Nothing makes a day drag longer than when you don’t find you job particularly challenging or if your workload is too light.
I’ve had first-hand experience in my earlier career of jobs where if I’d knuckled down I could have probably got a day’s work completed before lunch.
There may be people in the workplace who think that this is the ideal scenario. But the reality is that a job that requires very little from the individual is just boring and will have a terrible impact on that person’s morale.
If this is you, then you may want to think about the feasibility of moving within the business, talking to your boss about your current role, or if all else fails then it may be time to seek pastures new.
I hate my job: 3. Your work-life balance is shot to pieces
I have friends who love the workaholic lifestyle. They think nothing of working every night till the small hours, sacrificing their personal life for the sake of career.
Whilst there will always be the odd occasion when you will be expected to stay late and perhaps even lose the odd weekend to work, this should never become the norm. Whether it’s because of poor time-management or the fact that you simply have too much to do, you should consider how much personal time you are losing to a role and whether it is worth it or not.
Can you redress the balance or is it time look for a job where you can at least have a semblance of time to yourself?
I hate my job: 4. Your current job is unstable
Benjamin Frankin once said that nothing in this world can be said to be certain but death and taxes. And with a struggling economy and many businesses cutting back their staff numbers, there is no longer such a thing as a job for life.
But it can be incredibly demoralising if you live in constant fear of being laid off or ousted from your current position. And the misery you feel at work will spread to your personal life and you may begin to resent the power your boss has over your life.
Take control. Do the best you can in your current role and start creating a back-up plan just in case the worst does really happen.
Ensure that you keep your CV up to date and keep abreast of any changes that are happening in the sector or industry you are particularly interested in.
And remember, some things will be out of your control, but you will feel so much better if you are prepared, should the worst does really happen.
I hate my job: 5. The job I do goes against my morals and values
The role I mentioned in the 2nd paragraph of the introduction which I didn’t particularly enjoy, was working in the shady world of subprime finance. It was a job I took when money was short and job options thin on the ground.
But almost from day one, I found it hard to swallow that the company was fleecing its customers by charging a mind bogglingly high APR and throwing in spurious admin fees left right and center.
As my marketing began to attract more and more custom into the business, I began to feel more and more uneasy about the job I was doing and decided to move onto a new challenge and into a job I could be more proud of.
You may be experiencing something similar in your workplace that is making you say, "I hate my job". The only solution is to look for something else and then at least at an interview, you will have a valid reason for moving on if your stay with your current employer doesn't last all that long.
Hate your job: 6. You are getting into bad habits
You may be working in an office environment where your bad habits are acceptable. But traits such as arriving late or leaving early, taking over-long lunches with a pint or two or getting easily distracted by office chat will ultimately lead to you disliking your job.
You should be self-disciplined and realise that this kind of behaviour in the workplace is unacceptable and will ultimately lead to an unfulfilling career.
Alternatively you will hopefully have strong enough management in place to kick you into place and eliminate those bad habits that threaten to stifle your future career.
Hate your job: 7. Your career is stagnating
Another reason you may hate your current job is simply that you feel there is no prospect of advancing through the ranks of the company.
Ideally you should always get back from a job as much as you put in, but if your workplace doesn’t offer these promotion opportunities despite your hard work and dedication to the cause, then perhaps it’s time to take stock and figure out whether this is the right company for you.
Hate your job: 8. The job description has changed over time
I’ve sat through an interview before and been promised that if I took the position that I would have creative license to change the direction of the marketing.
The reality is that when I took the job, the business were incredibly resistant to change and didn’t see the value in changing from an outbound to an inbound marketing strategy.
And that can often be the problem. The role you think you were hired for has morphed into something else entirely and like me, you may feel that your skill set isn’t being utilised in the right way.
I can never do a role where I feel I’m simply crossing off tasks. Unless I feel I can stamp some of my personality and direction to a role, then I’m usually off and looking for a challenge elsewhere.
Hate your job: 9. The company outlook does not match your own
It can make a significant difference to your working day if your own outlook doesn’t match the company’s long-term goals. For instance, you may feel, as I do, that direct mail doesn’t really have a place in modern marketing.
But if the company you are working for are blinkered in their approach and refuse to join the digital revolution, then you may feel frustrated and restricted in your role.
And if you feel you’re not having any real impact on the company’s directional strategy, then you have to ask yourself if you’re happy to plod along or whether you need a change to get your career moving in the right direction.
Hate your job: 10. It just all feels a bit pointless
Do you feel like you go through the nine to five drudgery and then get home feeling like you achieved nothing over the working day?
You’re not alone, and there is certainly a section of society that are quite happy to do a ‘job’ and switch off at the end of the working day.
But if you crave a job with some substance but feel you are a faceless corporate cog working away in a grey cubicle, this may be yet another factor as to why you probably hate your job.
You may need to find a job that offers you a little bit more meaning to your work.
I’ve moved from a job that felt pointless to one where I felt I was helping shape the company’s future success.
The feeling that a job is fulfilling and rewarding can make such a massive difference and will certainly help you get out of bed in the morning.
There you go - 10 reasons why you probably hate your job. If you do and you're thinking of changing jobs, take stock of your situation, work out whether there's anything you can do about it, and if you can't (or if you don't want to) then take the plunge and move on.
