So how do you know if you just hate your current job, your boss, co-workers or the company you work for vs. knowing when you are ready to change directions entirely?
I don’t have anything but a very personal answer to that question.
For me; I started a new job about 6 months ago. It’s right in my wheelhouse, heading up a new department in my favorite area of the industry in which I’ve worked my entire life.
It’s not as much responsibility as my last job, but that was by design. On paper, this job “should” have been perfect for me at this point in my career. It appeared it was going to be challenging but not so much that it took over my whole life.
So what went wrong?
Everything.
I left my last job for several reasons.
One of which was the head of the division I worked for. I could write entire blogs about this woman and the shady way in which she conducted herself. She’s since been removed from her position.
One clue that I may be ready for a career change was that when I heard she’s no longer running the company, I had no desire to go back in any capacity. I definitely don’t want my old job back because it was way too much responsibility for the pay. I was working absurd hours for less than what many of my employees were making. But I have no desire to go back in any capacity.
Another clue was once things started to go horribly wrong here at my new job, I gave up quickly. It was apparent to me on my 3rd day that my new boss was similar to my old boss. It was obvious around the 60 day mark that this organization is not a good fit.
I stuck it out at my last job, despite the horrible boss, insufficient salary and heavy workload for THREE YEARS trying to make it work. I’m not a quitter and I normally believe I am capable of effecting change.
Not here.
And I don’t think it’s this company or these people who have changed my attitude. I think I’ve simply changed. I’m aware that this is not a good fit, finally realize that I don’t care enough to stick around and attempt to make changes here and for once in my life, know, that I want, need and deserve to make changes for myself instead.
It’s this giving up and not caring attitude that leads me to the conclusion that I need to change careers, not just jobs or companies or bosses. Otherwise I’d be much more invested in making this one work.
Instead I care much more about figuring out what I’ll do next!
When did you know it was time to make a change?
I’ve had a taste of some of what you went through, I think. I knew it was time to make a change pretty early on, when I couldn’t shake the feeling of being enslaved every time I’d walk through the door, punch my time card, and do whatever somebody else told me to do. The hours that I sacrificed to my employer each day became something to survive. Quitting time became my focus each day.
That phrase “make a living”, how is it living when you spend more time doing a job you hate than “living”! That’s not living, that’s being a wage slave to pay the bills. People are waking up to this more and more. The frustrating thing is finding what it is you want to do to break free.
I have known i need to do something else for a few years now but not so strongly as during 2012. The corporate bullshit is getting harder and harder to stomach and the routine of the 9-5 saps my energy. The term “making a living” is completely wrong, how is it a “living” when you spend most of your time working in a job you hate! That’s not living, that’s just paying the bills. It’s now time to LIVE! The difficult bit is knowing how to do it.