Beth Braccio Hering,
Benny Hsu of Jacksonville, Fla.,
works in a restaurant. Like many employees, he finds himself in a
tricky situation: He dislikes his job but believes he can't quit. "I
feel like I have no other option," Hsu says. "If I leave, I won't have
enough money to pay my mortgage."
While workers may bemoan
"sticking it out" until prospects or finances improve, there are actions
they can take to benefit both their current situation and their future
career path.
Here are seven strategies for making the most of an
undesirable new job.
1. Give it some time
Being the
new person can be tough. Allow some time to bond with co-workers and
become familiar with workplace operations. Days may pass more pleasantly
as you begin to feel comfortable with others and more confident about
your performance.
2. Be realistic
When you're
unhappy, it is easy to dwell on everything that is wrong and to
glamorize other places. "The fact is that the grass isn't always
greener, and every workplace has its share of good and bad," says
Elizabeth Freedman, author of "Work 101: Learning the Ropes of the
Workplace without Hanging Yourself" and "The MBA
Student's Job-Seeking Bible." "Lousy bosses and office politics exist
everywhere, so don't assume that your job woes will disappear if you get
hired someplace else. Be sure that your expectations are in check so
that you don't wind up leaving a job for something that doesn't really
exist."
3. Make it a learning experience
Evaluate
why you hate this job and what would make you happier. Failure to do so
may lead to repeating the same scenario down the road.
"You can
get a job offer on the other side of the planet, but you're still going
to be the one working in it," Freedman says. "If you hate the 9-to-5
lifestyle, don't know what you want to do with your life or simply are
feeling worried and anxious about the future, those issues will be right
there with you, too, no matter where you work."
Krista Regedanz, a Palo Alto, Calif., psychologist specializing in job-related issues and anxiety, recommends writing down answers to questions such as:
- Who am I as a person and as a professional?
- What do I value most?
- What are my goals for the next quarter, year and five years?
Then,
see how your answers conflict with your present position. By focusing
on what you truly want, you'll know what to look for as you bide your
time until a better fit comes along.
4. Look at the bigger career picture
While
sticking around may benefit your wallet now, it might help it in the
future as well. "Don't leave before you've got some meaty
accomplishments and tangible results to put on your résumé," Freedman
says. "Leaving too soon may hurt your chances of being competitive
against other job seekers at your age or level with more expertise than
you." Another good reason to stay: Job-hopping gets mixed reviews from
hirers. If your résumé lists too many jobs in too short a time,
employers may rightly question your motives and loyalty.
5. Be good to yourself
If
a career situation has you down, do what you can to make yourself feel
better both physically and mentally. Regedanz suggests:
- Getting enough sleep.
- Exercising regularly.
- Scheduling time for quality relaxation that leaves you feeling refreshed.
- Spending time with people you care about.
- Finding ways to bring more meaning into your life, such as by volunteering or taking a class.
6. Know that this too shall pass
Have
you ever convinced a skeptical child that a shot would hurt only
momentarily and then things would be better? The same holds true for a
bad job. Frustration becomes easier to tolerate when you treat it as a
temporary state rather than a lifelong sentence.
7. Find the bright side
Finally,
while you need not be a consistently perky Pollyanna, thinking about
the benefits that come from your labor may offer a new perspective.
Hsu
admits that he used to have problems seeing beyond his dislike for his
job, but he says he has learned to focus on the positive. "Be thankful
for the simple things in life and what you have," he says. "Appreciate
that you have a roof over your head, hot meals and a bed to sleep on
every night. Don't always think about how much you hate your job because
you'll keep digging yourself into a hole that'll be hard to get out of.
Change your thoughts, and it'll change your situation."