Work feels like prison…
You feel like you aren’t using your natural abilities at work…
You want to do everything except your job at work…
Your work does not come natural and you have to work harder than others to get it done…
You’re bored and not growing…
You have used all your sick days…
You’re counting down the minutes until you’re out of the office…
What to do?
Be intentional and don’t settle – People who love their work are not willing to settle for work that does not make them happy. This is not to say that once you find work you love there won’t be things you don’t like, but overall you will like what you do. Regularly try new things in an effort to discover activities and interests that make you happy and then do what it takes to enter into a career that’s the right fit for you.
Pinpoint specific things you don’t like about your work – When you hate your work often times you feel stuck because you tend to focus on the overall dread. However, it’s important to pinpoint specific things you don’t like about your work. Is the work environment toxic? Are you forced to work in groups on a regular basis, but you are introverted and prefer to work alone? Do you hate the actual work you do? Targeting specific things about what you don’t like can help you when making decisions about your next steps like do you need a slight change in environment or do you need a full career change.
Take some time to self-reflect – Give yourself some time to self-reflect on the activities that bring you joy and things you are naturally good at. Think back to when you were a kid about things you did for fun. What are things you value that you may not be getting in your work? Look back on memorable moments when you felt you were at your best, what were you doing? It’s also important to do some skill mapping where you look deeper into the things you like to do and ask yourself why you like doing them. Just because you like playing basketball does not mean you should pursue a career in sports. Maybe you just like being active, or you like leading a team. You can look for ways to utilize these things in your next role. Self-awareness is very important to finding work that’s a fit.
Don’t Let Fear Control You – I speak to many people who hate their work, but they are not willing to explore due to fear. They may be in a position where they make a good salary and are unwilling to even look into other possibilities. Some are scared to change their daily routines since they have developed skills that help them to complete the work, the thought of doing something else makes them feel uncomfortable. Just because you look into other possibilities does not mean you need to completely change your career, but if you do determine that you are ready for a complete change, you can’t let fear keep you from moving.
Seek advice from an objective 3rd party – Asking family and friends to help identify your strengths can be a good thing because often the people we spend most of our time with can recognize strengths we may not notice. Alternatively, I still recommend seeking an outside objective party because family and friends can’t always be objective when they are so close and have their own agendas. Working with a Career Coach who has experience and training utilizing practical tools like a natural abilities assessment or strengths identification tools can be a good thing as their only goal is to help you reach your goals.
As a Certified Career & Strengths Coach trained to debrief both the Highlands Ability Battery (a natural abilities assessment) and the Gallups Strengthsfinder (strengths assessment) and over 15 years of experience helping people to find work they love, I’d be honored to help you. You can send me a message here or you can send me an email to dharris@careerskyrocket.com.