Sure, we’ve all had bad days at work. But do you, in your heart of hearts, actually, truly hate your job? That sucks because you spend a majority of your time there. Did you know that you spend roughly 13 years of your life at work? Add to that the amount of time you commute if you don’t work remotely. You go to work dreading what’s about to happen. While there, you go through the motions and wait for your shift to be over. Sounds like you? Here’s what to do if you hate your job.
Assess the situation
I know how easy it is to just think of quitting when you can’t stand things anymore. But before you make any rash decisions, assess the situation. Why do you hate your job? Do you really hate it? Is it because your boss is horrible? Are your officemates burdensome? What’s causing it? Is there a way for you to address it before resorting to quitting?
Another thing to consider is if it’s your job you really have a distaste for or other parts of your life. Yes, that could happen. Sometimes we take out our unhappiness about a certain thing on another thing.
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Prepare to take action
Once you’ve found the reason why you hate your job, it’s time to plan what to do next. Yes, plan first. It’s important to set goals before anything else and make sure they’re realistic goals. Maybe you realized that you hate your job because you’d rather work for yourself. Okay, but how do you actually start the business of your dreams? How much money do you need to run it? How long do you need to stay at your job before you can transition to your business full-time?
Or perhaps you found out that you just don’t want to work at your current job anymore and you want to transition to a different job or switch careers. Plan on how you can do so and set a timeline for yourself. Finding a new job doesn’t happen overnight; sometimes it takes half a year. (With this economy, it might take more.) So make sure you plan ahead and take action accordingly based on what you want to achieve.
Don’t just quit
So you’ve found the reason why you hate your job and you’ve set a goal for yourself. Before you know it, the time you’ve set for yourself has arrived. Yes, you can finally start writing your resignation letter. But remember to have a solid exit strategy before doing so. Make sure that your plan for your transition is in place, and make sure that you know what to tell your employers regarding why you’re leaving. Don’t burn bridges and make sure your exit is graceful. Lastly, take the good and leave the bad. Sure, it may have been hellish but maybe you learned a skill that will be beneficial for you on your next endeavors. Or maybe you’ve found real friends there despite the condition you were all in. Open the new chapter of your life with gratitude and positivity.