Hate your Job? How to Plan a Happier Future

Working out the reasons why you aren't enjoying your job is the first step on the road to a happier career.

Most candidates switch jobs for positive reasons. They may have outgrown their current position or want to develop new skills and progress to a more senior role. However, we occasionally come across candidates who want to change career because they hate their current job.

Typically, the reasons these candidates cite include:

• Feeling undervalued. They may have a boss who never gives feedback on their performance or acknowledges their contribution.
• Feeling underpaid. They may feel they are not adequately paid for the work that they do or that they what they earn is not sufficient to meet their needs.
• Feeling overworked. Candidates who complain about feeling overworked are sometimes stressed and/or putting in long hours. These candidates may also feel undervalued or they may feel that although their contribution is valued, their boss doesn’t appreciate the pressures they work under.
• Feeling trapped. Candidates sometimes feel they would like to change job but are ‘trapped’ because they have been in the same role for too long or have not kept their skills up to date.
• Not getting on with colleagues. Candidates sometimes feel that they are pulling against the company culture and have difficult relationships with their colleagues and/or boss. Different generations have different attitudes to work. Recent research by Dell Technologies found that Gen Z young professionals are very aware of the changing skills needed for the future of work and that great technology will entice Gen Z job candidates. For millennials, learning and development opportunities, flexibility, and stability are often priorities whereas older workers—the baby boomer generation—value hard work, promotions and prestige.
• Long commute. Spending too long travelling to and from work can be very draining. A recent survey for Wicklow County Council found that 70% of commuters who work outside the county would be likely or very likely to consider switching to a job closer to home if one were available and 33% said that they would be likely or very likely to consider a lower salary if it meant they could work in County Wicklow.
• No opportunity to advance. Ambitious, motivated individuals can become frustrated if they do not have development opportunities or promotion prospects.

Planning a happier career

When you hate your job, that negative feeling often spills over into other areas of your life where it can affect your health, relationships and mental wellbeing. The first step to planning a happier career is working out why you are unhappy. Today, many organisations offer Employee Assistance Programmes which offer a range of services including confidential support and counselling to help with work, family and personal issues. It is worth checking with your current employer to see if this service is available.

Solutions to many of the problems outlined above may be within your control once you have identified what is making you unhappy. For example, it might be possible to arrange a meeting with your boss and ask for help to prioritise tasks if you are feeling overworked. If your boss is not aware that you are struggling, they won’t be able to help you.

If it turns out that the cause of your unhappiness is a culture clash with your employer or if you have simply outgrown your current role, there are almost certainly new opportunities to explore. The key thing is to adopt a positive attitude, work on updating your skills, and look for opportunities to develop new skills and/or advance to a more challenging role. As a specialist in the IT sector, Eolas Recruitment can advise you on the skills most in demand and help you to find relevant opportunities. We’ll also help you to tailor your CV so that it presents your skills and experience in the best possible light. Check out our online reviews and contact us for more information.