What to do if your job isn't working for you
If you find yourself counting down the sleeps until your next holiday, constantly tired with nothing left in reserve for the people you care about when you get home, or if Sunday evenings are filled with dread at the thought of work the next day – chances are, your job is not working for you.
As a career coach, I see dozens of people a month who have stayed far too long in dysfunctional work environments, despite being very employable and well placed financially.
That’s because knowing things need to change is one thing. Actually making that change is another.
It’s hard when you don’t know what you would rather be doing, or even where to begin to change your situation.
Know what good looks like
Here’s how. Begin with the end in mind. Begin by giving yourself permission to think about what your ideal life would look like, and work backwards from there.
You need to know what good looks like, for you, so that you know what to aim for. (Tip: this is what good looks like for you. Don’t measure what success looks like in other people’s eyes).
Become an expert clue finder.
What would a healthy, balanced lifestyle look like for you?
What would your ideal work environment look like?
What do your core values tell you about your work choices?
What are the strengths and skills you want to be able to use in your work, that would make you feel energized rather than drained?
What clues can you take from your interests to guide your job choices?
Once you have done this work, you are going to be far better placed to recognize the right opportunities for you, and be more confident in your career decisions.
You’ll also be less likely to operate in auto-pilot and stay in places that are a wrong fit.
In auto-pilot, the default is to keep trying to make it work, no matter what. If you’re not valued or recognized by your boss despite exceeding all your targets, you work harder to prove your worth. If you are under-resourced with unreasonable demands, you persevere and give away more hours of your time for free – because that’s what you do in auto-pilot. The longer you stay in a dysfunctional work environment, however, the worse the impact on your mental health and wellbeing, and confidence levels. Which in turn, makes it harder to see your way out.
So, know what good looks like for you, and take yourself off auto-pilot. After all, a job is only worth having if it works for you!
If you need help to find out what good looks like for you, so that you can be more confident to find a job that works for you, get in touch. I currently have appointments available from mid January 2020.