Ask the CHO: Should you work for a year in a job that sucks
In a previous post I argued against some commonly used phrases at work, including the idea that you can take a bad job “just for a year” to make some money.
Dirceu asked this question in a comment on the post:
About the “It’s not my dream job, but it’s only for a year…? phrase: a person can work on a not-so-good job for one year just to save enough money to do what he/she want, just for security.
Me, for example: I’m renting an apartment and paying a graduation course on a local university. If I want to change my focus from computers to, say, museums I really need to have money for security reasons.
I know about the advantages of low-rent living, but with zero money, no living. :-(
Please, talk more about this. And go on with the blog: it’s being, as always, very helpful.
Great question Dirceu!
Many, many people seem to think that sometimes you’ve just got to knuckle down and take that sucky job because you need the money. You can be a student paying your tuition, a new graduate paying off your student loans, a new home owner struggling to make the mortgage or any number of other situations that mean you depend on a steady income.
But does that really mean that you must accept being unhappy at work? There is one question you must ask yourself:
But what will keeping that job cost you?
Being unhappy at work steadily saps your energy, will power, self esteem and motivation. The longer you stay in that situation, the harder it gets to see any positive alternatives and to take action and move on.
And it doesn’t just affect you at work, it also affects you outside of work. When work is something that gives you no pleasure, has no meaning for you, gives you no victories or appreciation and is simply no fun, your life outside of work is likely to suffer too.
The worst thing about this is that it sneaks up on you gradually. Your energy dissipates slowly. You’ll hardly notice it from one day to the next but before you know it, the life has gone out of you. You become cynical, tired, uncreative, negative - maybe even depressed, stressed and sick.
The thing is, the cost of leaving a bad job is very clear to us because the effect is immediate. The cost of keeping a bad job can be much higher, but it sneaks up on us slowly, and therefore we often forget to take that into account.
What is your experience? Have you tried staying in a bad job for the money and the security? How was it? Write a comment, I’d really like to know!
Permalink
Spread the message:
reddit
del.icio.us
digg
chus3r Said,
January 30, 2007 @ 4:20 pm
What makes a bad job? The coffee? Loser coworkers? The commute? For those just starting out it may seem like the grass is greener elsewhere, but it rarely is. In the dotcom days people jumped ship for the dumbest reasons like they have snacks and free drinks. Or they are in a cool part of town. Whatever.
Everyone back then saw opportunities to move into different roles. I eventually changed because I didn’t think the company I was with was headed in the right direction. That company lasted about eight months before being sold off twice in the same year.
I don’t disagree with what you are saying, but I think we need some perspective especially for newer guys entering the workforce.
foxydot Said,
January 30, 2007 @ 4:26 pm
I took a job that was well below my skill level (and interest level) simply because I’d been languishing in unemployment for 6 months. It was a “temp job”…meant to be a two-week gig to get them through a tight deadline. I ended up doing that job for nearly two years. Fortunately, my direct boss was fully cognizant of my situation and skills, and I have since been promoted and moved to a new department. Four years later, I have a nearly ideal job (except for the problem CEO…possibly a type 3, I fear) and I’m really glad I took that underpaid, boring two-week gig.
Office lady Said,
January 30, 2007 @ 6:43 pm
I am currently at a job that I don’t like…and I’ve been at it for 2 years.
A little like what foxydot said, I guess I have been waiting for something to change at my current workplace. My boss keeps giving me a slightly higher salary almost every 6 months, with verbal promises of promotion, title change, more responsibilities, company expansion, etc, etc. The money’s probably just to keep me in place until those things really come along.
Boss-wise, co-workers-wise, they are actually very decent people. They’re not the evil type out to suck the life out of me. But I just simply do not enjoy the nature of my work.
Yet I’m still here, because of the money. This is my first real long-term job out of college and I’ve never been paid this much before. If I leave and change my field of work (which I am considering), I will have to start again at half of what I am earning now.
In retrospect, I wish my boss never gave my any raises, because that would make deciding to leave so much easier.
MyNameIsMatt Said,
January 30, 2007 @ 8:43 pm
Having experienced the worked-at-a-crappy-job-for-longer-than-I-wanted thing, I can whole heartedly say, “don’t do it.” I was coming out of college and heading back to Citigroup where I had interned through college. Same department, so I knew I liked the people I worked with, however, I assumed the shittier parts would go away as I moved from an intern to a full time employee, and if they didn’t I should be a man and tough it out (”where did this kind of societal machoness that thinks it’s good taking crap come from?”).
I had allowed myself to be talked into going back by a professor and somewhat my parents. The reasoning was that with a name like that on your resume, it’ll open up doors years down the road, so just give it a good two year try. Boy, was that a mistake, and I should have quit after two months. Still, I left before the two plan, and had made the decision to quit probably six months in, but I figured the best time to move wasn’t for another six months, so I tried to stick it through until the right time, which doesn’t make the situation any easier in the least.
Even though I had college loans, money’s never really been an issue for me because all the jobs I’ve had were very well paid + bonuses. It actually wasn’t hard for me to look at what I valued and move towards that, but my parents were a little worried seeing that I was going to quit, buy a car, move across country to CA, and had no job waiting. I don’t have much sympathy for myself for the time I spent there when I didn’t want to, and I have little sympathy for people who know they should leave but don’t. It’s really easy, and usually fear is the driving factor, and no one can live life by fear.
The key was knowing what I valued in life, and going out to get it. I didn’t know if I would get it or not (I have and continue to get what I value), but striving for it made all the difference in my life. And don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed plenty when working at Citi. Had a decent social life, earned plenty of money, my manager had some really great traits (and my problems with him were more bureaucratically induced problems), but there was too much else missing, and too many pains beyond those points. Be strategic about your leaving if you can, but if you can’t then don’t wait. Move on. The mental price isn’t worth it.
Deb Said,
January 30, 2007 @ 10:01 pm
I think that the problem is often that it is hard to find out what a new job is going to be really like, until you are there!
I left one job where I loved the work and was successful at what I did, but hated the organisational set up, bullying and injustice.
It was hard at the age of 51 to move jobs to somewhere where my skills and expertise weren’t recognised,, really out of my comfort zone!
The new organisation is much larger and much fairer . However the work is really boring and not at all how I thought it would be. I am back to being a hidden cog in a large wheel but it has helped me to step back and not moan all the time! I can see that there are people in my department who are really not suited to the type of work at all and who are unhappy and sadly missing out on fulling their potential and I probably include myself in that category.
However, I will stay for a year because a) the full cycle of work will be complete and b) not being one who likes change, it takes me a good long time to get used to something c) I only feel confident when I know what I am doing and the training takes a full year.
Perhaps, just perhaps, staying a year can be justified!
Theo Tonca Said,
January 30, 2007 @ 11:34 pm
You’re dead on Matt, i as well worked a job i absolutely hated once upon a time just so that i can save some money for my next venture and it turned out that my venture didn’t need all that much money to get off the ground after all.
So i would say that if you were to quit your present job really take a look at just how badly you need the money and research how much you would need to save up to have all your finances in order for a month or two before you find an opportunity that is more to your liking.
Al Said,
January 31, 2007 @ 12:16 pm
I really think it depends on how much you hate your job. If there are things that you can do (ever so slightly) to make things more pleasant, I would do those (and see the effect) before you decide to leave. I have realised one thing though, it always seems we are looking for a ‘perfect’ job in a ‘perfect’ organisation, but if an organisation was already so ‘perfect’, then they probably wouldn’t have vacancies, and wouldn’t be hiring additional staff to ‘fix things’.
Dirceu Pereira Tiegs Said,
January 31, 2007 @ 4:40 pm
“The thing is, the cost of leaving a bad job is very clear to us because the effect is immediate. The cost of keeping a bad job can be much higher, but it sneaks up on us slowly, and therefore we often forget to take that into account.”
Thanks for sharing this, Alex! I’m pretty sure that many people can be inspirated by this post, and it certainly answered my question. :-)
I think that, while we still need money to survive, we MUST pay attention to the cost of being unhappy.
Great post, thanks!
Chris Said,
February 1, 2007 @ 10:05 am
Money is always going to be a motivating factor but it’s been proven that millionaires aren’t happier than the average joe. I’ve met brilliant people driving cabs who didn’t enjoy the rat race. They simply enjoyed meeting new people and a stress free job. I think everyone at some point in their life has taken a job beneath their talents but than again people always overestimate their true worth. Matt is right on the money. What do you value in life, money or happiness? I chose happiness.
ImASadGiraffe Said,
February 2, 2007 @ 12:27 am
I am currently working, 8 months out of college, at a job that I don’t enjoy. I make lots of money, a decent salary + bonus, but I just hate making sales calls all day. I am both creative and a perfectionist, and being in an environment where I must make calls all day is emotionally draining and not a lot of fun to my creative side. My day brightens when I talk to happy customers who listen to my sales pitches but darkens with all the hang-ups, failed sales, and generally rude people. Right now my job is costing me happiness in my personal life as I get in my car at 6 pm everyday and cry before heading home. I’m tired of it but do I really have the skills to leave for another equally paying job? I’m buying a house in a few months with my soon-to-be husband and can’t take a cut in pay. It’s frustrating and sometimes I wish I had never taken this job and just held out for one that lets me be creative and doesn’t make me call people all day long.
Tomi Astikainen Said,
February 2, 2007 @ 6:22 am
Hey!
Just wanted to point out one important factor:
Leaving a bad job is an easy way out. Making a bad job to a good job, for you and the others around you, is what really matters. I know it takes time, it takes guts and it takes perseverance, but in the end it’s more rewarding than just tapping yourself on back of how courageous you were to quit your sucky job. If you take that path, you might just keep looking for that perfect opportunity out there and never find it.
There! Chew on that!
-Tomi
Alexander Said,
February 2, 2007 @ 12:19 pm
chus3r: I agree - sometimes it’s not even the workplace, or it’s not even that bad. On the other hand, no one but you know if you’re happy or unhappy at work. If you’re unhappy in a job and have been so for a while, it’s time to do something.
foxydot: Great to hear it. It sounds like you had a bad (or at least boring job), but that you had thought through what the downside was and why you kept that job anyway. And it paid of. When you make that trade-off consciously, it can be a way to become happy at work later on. Kudos!
Office lady: Don’t stay for the raises. That probably isn’t worth it.
MyNameIsMatt: Thanks for the great story. “knowing what I valued in life, and going out to get it” - that is exactly the point.
Deb: Thanks for another great story. I admire your decision to leave the first company. It sounds like your story illustrates the fact that to be happy at work we need both results, ie. doing good work and relationships, ie. feeling good around the people there. You last job had one, your current job the other. Finding a job that has both (or making your job so that it has both) is the key.
Theo: Precisely. And even if the spreadsheets may not support the decisions, your gut instinct may still be telling you to get out.
Al & Tomi: I agree completely. First try to fix your job. If that doesn’t work or is plainly impossible, move on. Most of us have many ways to influence what work is like - often more than we think. Blindly accepting conditions at work is not the way to go.
Dirceu: Exactly - we need to look also at the cost of keeping that job. I’m glad you liked it.
Chris: Yes! Choose happiness!
ImASadGiraffe: You’re in a bad situation, and I definitely sympathize. If I can add to your misery for a second, it also sounds like your unhappy job situation is actually making it harder for you to find a new job, because the job eats away at your energy and drive. My advice: Think hard about what staying in that job is costing you. Then talk to your husband to find out if it’s worth it.
The AntiSyphus Effect Said,
February 2, 2007 @ 1:06 pm
Friday Favorites
This week sure flew by! We interrupt the series on RCA to bring you Friday Favorites; the weekly entry in which I direct you to go visit the best blog posts I read during the prior week. Top billing this
John JW Said,
February 15, 2007 @ 8:38 pm
Leaving a job when it is no longer fruitful is a good idea. Going out and getting what life has to offer is important. i am leaving a job that I have been at for 5 years. I hit my peak about a year-and-a-half ago and now realize that I should have left then. I just got another offer at 50% more than my current salary, great benefits, 401k etc and am still worried if I am making the right choice. Onlydownside is that I have to commute 50 miles one way and will have to buy a new car. I know that it will be an economic boom for me and the work is interesting, but the author is correct. My energy has been sapped from me and I am tired much of the time at this old job. Should have left back then. Live and learn.
Galen Said,
February 20, 2007 @ 8:19 am
I recently made a tough decision to leave a good job to take one that I thought might suck just so I would have more opportunity and security in the future. Here I am a year later, and unfortunately it does indeed suck. Transported back in time and given the choice again, I probably would not make the same choice. Who knows - maybe in another year I’ll feel differently. Starting a new job is always difficult.
For me, it’s about direction. Do I hate my job more than I did last month, or less? If I continue to hate it more and more, I will have to get out eventually.
KE Liew Said,
March 2, 2007 @ 5:11 pm
Working attitude is the prime factor in everything in the working life. No matter the motivation behind the purpose of having the job. Even though it “sucks” I think we need to question ourselves on “what sucks in the job?” or “why does it suck so bad?” If it’s your boss or colleagues that hinders your potentials then look for something else before quitting.
I’ve worked at a chinese takeaway for quite a long time. My boss wasn’t the best in the world, neither the worst. I get crap from him nearly everday, but when I look at things differently. I realise that it is my working attitude that sucked, hence all the scolding and yelling from him. If I would have changed to another job, it would still sucked for me, unless the boss doesn’t really give a crap about his business or the way that I handle things.
Question is, how well can you self-criticise? ;)
Top 10 reasons why happiness at work is the ultimate productivity booster Said,
March 27, 2007 @ 9:52 am
[…] Find a new job where you can be happy. If your current job is not fixable, don’t wait - move on now! […]
Some killer questions to ask in your next job interview Said,
March 29, 2007 @ 10:11 am
[…] Never stay in a bad job! Fix it or leave! […]
lux Said,
April 9, 2007 @ 11:49 pm
During the post-911 business downturn I lost my job, and then spent 9 months trying to get a new job and running through my savings. Eventually, my savings ran out and I had to stop looking for a job in my chosen field and find anything that would keep a roof over my head.
I didn’t like the job I was able to get, but it was either that or move into my car. So for 18 months, I sucked it up and did the job. I did it as well as I possibly could, and did so well that I was promoted twice in that 18 month period. Still, I was miserable, and I got out as soon as I could.
I agree that there is a cost to keeping a bad job, but sometimes we do what we have to in order to make it through to the better times. There is no shame in that.
chowdah Said,
May 31, 2007 @ 7:44 pm
I have worked at sucky jobs for most of the past 30 years. You do what you must to feed the family. While I really believe “I am the Master of my fate, the Captain of my destiny”, sometimes G-d puts you in a rowboat in a hurricane. In that case, no matter how motivated or skilled a Captain, you are in deep yogurt and it will take a long, diffcult effort to get through. Yes of course I have continuously angled for better work during these years, at each sucky job I have found some parts enjoyable, and things have improved step by tiny step. If I dumped the family it would be simpler for me, but they *are* what is important to me.
Find Your Quitting Point Said,
June 6, 2007 @ 7:52 am
[…] Never stay in a bad job. Fix it or leave. […]
The Ultimate Job Hunt Guide Said,
August 1, 2007 @ 11:43 am
[…] Never stay in a bad job. Fix it or leave! We all know the cost of leaving a bad job. But sometimes we forget the cost of staying. And that cost can be much too high. […]
Office girl Said,
August 15, 2007 @ 9:28 pm
Ok…you are going to love my story. I went to work for my father at his construction company….and I have been there 5 years. It is sort of flexible ( time off is like pulling teeth)….but he is very abusive and mean. I stay because of the money and flexibility with my family. I get off early. But it is taking it’s toll on them too. I am extremely unhappy. I recieved a job offer with my daughter’s pediatrician’s office, and it is a 4 day work week, and about 3,200.00
a year less than what I make now. I am losing sleep over do I take it, or do I not.
I can’t see the forest for the trees. Please help.
John JW Said,
August 16, 2007 @ 12:15 am
OK, hey Office Girl! You state that “…time off is like pulling teeth…” and then you state that you “…get off early… Which is it then? You will find abuse and meanness everywhere you go, but it ususlly hurts from family the most. Know that when and if you take the job for with your child’s physician, that relationship will change because he or she will now be your boss as well. Money?……….forget it. As you probably already know too well that you will make it with or without extra cash. The questions you must contemplate are the following: 1. Will the new work be fulfilling? 2. Are you willing to give up a few extra dollars for sanity’s sake? 3. Can a new job springboard you to a new career path? 4. Perhaps college? That always results in more $$. 5. Will your child glean a new attitude? What I mean by that is that you come home from working for your father a. feeling abused, b. feeling depressed, c. treated meanly, therefore who will you be mean to in return? MMmmmmm……. 6. Will leaving the “fold” get you new respect from your father? Is that what you are looking for? 7. You state that you are unhappy? 8. Your new offer is 3200 less, but with a 4-day work week. Well, OG, it seems to me that you will break even! You can always get another P/T job for a day…..maybe at your father’s company? That is only if you want to deal with the meanness and abuse. From the sound of things, you sound in your very early 20’s with a child. OG, now is the time to make the move for yourself AND your child. Do not lose sleep OG. Live life to the fullest. Get out and make new friends. Take a class on your new day off. Be with your child at the park! Many people will give much for a 4-day work week! Oh, while we are at it, let’s take a look at the money factor….3200.00 right? How much an hour are you giving up? 3200/50 weeks in a year is 64.00 a week/40 hours is $1.60/hour. But since you are only working 4 days a week you are really breaking even! So, that actually puts you ahead of the game! I will add that your post indicates that you hold fear for your future. We all do. Face the fear and move on. We all fail at times too, but that is what makes success so great! How can one experience success if one does not taste failure first? Permit me to indulge you about fear. Everyone experiences fear. It is how we deal with it an react to it that makes us who we are as a person. So, I hope that the trees are more vivid and the forest is much more clear. Be happy, take healthy risks and live! Best to you! John JW
Office Girl Said,
August 16, 2007 @ 4:34 am
John JW. that is perhaps the most clear view I have had on the whole situation from anyone.
I can clarify the getting off early ( I only have to work till 3:30) I have no sick time or vacation time. If I need a day off it takes me about three days to get him to say yes.
I could have made myself clearer. Sorry about that.
You have truly made my day. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Alexander Said,
August 16, 2007 @ 11:22 am
John JW: Great, great questions. That was an inspiration to read!
Office girl: Good luck. Please let us know what you choose to do!
John JW Said,
August 17, 2007 @ 12:03 am
Hi OG! Well, I am glad that my words offered some guidance for you! Just a couple of more comments on your latest post. You get off work at 3:30; OK what time do you go in? You have NO vacation or sick time? I bet that you are earning in the neighborhood of $11.00/hour? If you need a day off it takes about three days for an answer? You know, OG, sometimes working for a family member can be 3x as hard as working for a stranger. Family is great, but on the flip side you have to realize that sometimes family can be not so great. I am sure that you love your dad and he loves you very much. There are phases in life that I was taught and I would like to share them with you: 1. As children, our parents made ALL of our decisions (age birth - 20) 2. From 20 - 40 we are straightening out the things our parents put upon us. By that I mean that at times they tried to relive their younger years through us. For example, you want to be on the tennis team and your parent was on the soccer team and they force you to play soccer instead of you doing what you want to do because they never got to be a soccer star as they dreamed they would like to become. Do you see how this can create regrets and poor feelings in ourselves? 3. We are truly discovering ourselves from 40 - 60 and then anything from 60 onward is a gift and should be treated as such. There is a saying that “…love is love, but business is business…” and it is extremely hard for the two to meet. You have been mixing them and that is why you are so confused. One part of you wants harmony and happiness in the family and the other part wants freedom and to be treated with respect and dignity. Because you are working for a family member, the family member feels that he or she is doing YOU a favor. In reality it is you who are doing THEM a favor and saving THEM money because anyone else would NOT take a job without at LEAST SOME vacation time. I do hope that you have decided to move on to another position instead of being held down. Be happy, be healthy and move on steadfastly into your future with hope, happiness, optimism, clarity and a glad heart.
John JW Said,
August 22, 2007 @ 12:51 am
Hi Alexander, Thank you for the kind words! Cheers, John JW
Office Girl Said,
August 22, 2007 @ 1:07 am
Okay… I have taken the job. I am very nervous..it’s just normal I guess. I appreciate all that you did to help me make an informed decision. My dad won’t even speak to me after i told him. that hurts..but in a strange way…it helps me to know that I am doing the right thing. It’s funny, all this time I have been in an emotionally and verbally abusive workplace, and it’s my biological parent who does that. It’s still hard to break free, and I know it won’t happen in one day. I know the decrease in money has to be worth the increase in sanity. Sometimes it’s still hard to see that right now. But your words and kindness are helping. I have had a couple of offers in the past, and I always let them go. I was too afraid letting fear keep me where I was. I am moving on. I always wanted to be in the healthcare field, and I feel like i am getting in on the ground floor, and it will take me new places. I will keep you updated…I just pray I can hang in there long enough to get in the groove and give this a chance. I don’t want to go back where I have been.
I can’t thank you enough.,,,your words have been a true inspiration to me. =)
Michele Edwards Said,
August 22, 2007 @ 6:28 am
Dear Office Girl,
I admire your courage in taking the offer from the pediatrician’s office. I believe it is a decision that you will NEVER regret.
As has been pointed out already, working 32 hours/week instead of 40 (+?) hours/week with NO time off unless begged for has you coming out ahead.
In addition, you will gain self-respect, self-esteem, and renewed confidence in your abilities to make a positive contribution to the workforce and to society in general. And you will be a great role model for your child.
Even if you find that you don’t like the work at the new job, or you don’t like the people, or even that they don’t like you, it will be the best step you could take right now. You will be learning new things and you will be establishing relationships with co-workers in a very different way (which will take some getting used to, so be kind to yourself if you make some mistakes). And, you will be finding out more about yourself and who you really are.
Your father’s reaction will be very difficult to bear, but you can do it. And I think that eventually he will soften towards you. Right now he’s using the same behavior he always has to get you to do things his way. But you are an adult now, and you have your own way, and it is just as good (if not BETTER) than his way. Stay strong, and do not cave. If you can do that, you will have broken a very destructive, dysfunctional pattern, and your relationships with others will never be the same.
Trust your intuition, lady, and you can go as far as you want to go and on your own terms.
Be sure to let us all know how it’s going after a few weeks and then again a few weeks after that. I, for one, am rooting for YOU.
Michele Engel Edwards
San Diego
John JW Said,
August 23, 2007 @ 12:06 am
Hi Office Girl!
Well!! Good for you! As Michele says she is rooting for you and so am I. Your dad will get over it in time. You know, its hard to give up good help when you have had them under your thumb for a long time. Don’t worry about it at all.
You now have the chance to do what you want and the world is your oyster. It will not be easy at times, but you will get used to it and you will never regret your decision.
Keep us posted because we are interested in how you are doing. We are all in the work world together and it is great to have others to lean on in times of need. And all of us on this blog do not even know one another!
Be happy, keep smiling and…..just THINK OF THE POSSIBILITIES!!!
John JW
Can you be happy in an evil business? Said,
August 30, 2007 @ 9:59 am
[…] Never stay in a bad job. Fix it or leave. […]
Debbie Said,
August 31, 2007 @ 10:19 pm
Hi Office girl, hope the new job and the people are great. The hard part is over,,, making the decision must have been really difficult. Don’t look back, you made that decision for the best reasons. My Dad told me that you don’t regret the decisions you made, just the ones you didn’t make.. and that has been true for me so far!
Keep us posted.
Office Girl Said,
September 4, 2007 @ 3:48 am
Hello all.I appreciate so much all the advice you guys have given!
I am in the new position, and I have been training for a week now, and I realize all the new possibilities for me. I really did make the right decision. You comments, helped me so much to enforce that. It hasn’t been easy…but that’s a whole other issue. My dad is still avoiding me, and that part hurts. But again, it helps me to realize that was the right thing to do. I know if I had let this pass me by… would have regretted it.
I guess fear always kept me where I was…and it’s like I am coming out of my shell. My daughter will be better for it I know…I want her to always take the high road and be strong.
As for the other being a bad job, I tried to hang in there, I guess out of fear and guilt. Those are the same things trying to hold me back! You feel like working for family, you have a different obligation to them….but mine was a very bad obligation. Better now, all by my own decisions, which I am just learning to make on my own. Thanks so much….I hope I am still this positive at 3 months on the job! =)
John JW Said,
September 6, 2007 @ 12:18 am
Hi OG!
I am very happy for you! Oh, yea, you will get a little bored from time to time b/c that is human nature. Just keep your eyes and ears open, and your mouth closed more often than open. You will be suprised at what you see and hear!! Keep us posted here. It seems that it is a very exclusive club here. Remember, life is what YOU make of it. YOU have the choice to be happy or sad each day you wake up. Choose to be happy. Go get em’ tiger and enjoy life. Keep us posted here!!
Best,
JohnJW
Chipper Said,
September 14, 2007 @ 9:29 pm
All I want is to like my job - even 60% of the time… is that too much to ask?
I started work, right out of college, working in corporate finance for one of the largest corporations in the world. Sure, I was successful there. At least, the boss and reviews all said I was successful and doing a bang-up job. But I wasn’t happy, and found I liked my job at most 1 day per week. I was capable of more, and trust me, the boss knew it and was giving me more to do without compensating me for it or giving me the opportunity to advance when it was due. I knew that a year from then, had I stayed, I would have gotten a promotion anyhow - with much more responsibility and visibility, longer hours, but only a modest compensation increase. It wasn’t worth it to me to stay in that job for another year and wait for that development opportunity. So I left. And magically, they counter-offered with a sexier role and slightly-more pay, but I have too much pride for that - “too little too late”.
I took a new job at another large corporation, for significantly more pay, and (little did I know empty) promises of opportunities to develop quickly. I’m now 7 months into it, and it’s awful. Sure, the pay is better, but this is the #1 worst place to work in finance in America right now - no questions asked. 80% of the finance team wants out. 60% of them are new hires at the same time I came in. If I leave now, i will forgo a pro-rated portion of my signing bonus and a modest year-end bonus. I can’t afford that, but whatever.
For 3 weeks of every month, I’m miserable. It affects my sleep, health, and relationships with others. The work is not challenging me. It is not developing me. And there is very little opportunity to advance afterall (I’ve spoken with other people in similar positions here). I was sold a lemon, and the people that hired me are no longer here either because they resigned shortly after I came in!
Businesses should be held accountable for lying to new hires. Straight-up lies.
And, of course, there’s no “worker’s compensation” law for a company causing you stress, high-blood pressure, and sleepless nights. And I’m only 27!
I’m of the mindset that, if you are trying to grow and promote yourself, you should ALWAYS leave a job if you aren’t getting back what you put in and keep trying to find that one job that makes you happy - 60% of the time.
Top 10 signs you’re unhappy at work Said,
November 1, 2007 @ 11:04 am
[…] Never stay in a bad job. Fix it or leave. […]
G Said,
November 20, 2007 @ 9:58 am
I was very happy in my job for about 6 years. I loved it, it was rewarding, and I was very good at it. Suddenly, my company suffered a major turmoil and fired many people in the administration. Many nasty things went on, and most workers left in bad terms with the institution. Since I was a respected worker, I was promoted to high administrative position, but the company is still in crisis (I have fired several people in the last month, and the ones that are staying are not doing their jobs well). This is draining my energy. Insisting on people, getting on arguments about petty things, making sure they do their jobs. I stayed at this job b/c of the money, the town and the schools, which are very important to my family. However, if given the choice, I would leave inmediately. However, there are no options so far in the horizon. I don’t know how long I could take this, butI would like to think that I am staying to get the work done and the company back on its feet, and that this crisis period will be over soon, and that the company will be the same one I liked so much. However, it has been difficult all the way, and the future looks grim.
Debbie Said,
November 20, 2007 @ 11:23 pm
I think that sometimes, for me, being unfamiliar in a role, makes me feel out of control and I just hate that feeling and then hate the job. So,sometimes, its worth trying hard to work out why you hate it so much but if there are other things out there that you would rather do, then I feel you should go for them. G has given enough of her/himself and it sounds , on paper as though, if you got out now, at least you could say that you gave it your absolute best shot before and after the crisis point. If it is making you ill, then just don’t do it What is the likelyhood of the future in that job getting better,,, would that be at the expense of your health?
. My job stress may have caused my thyroid to malfunction and I am not proud of that, I have to suffer the consequences now for the rest of my life. and yes, I am applying for a job that the thought of, makes me feel happy inside,, I know it will be something I love and even if I don’t get it, I will be pleased that I made the extra effort, that it takes, to apply.
Alexander’s ethos is a good one and it would be great if more people had the same attitude.
Debbie Said,
November 20, 2007 @ 11:23 pm
I think that sometimes, for me, being unfamiliar in a role, makes me feel out of control and I just hate that feeling and then hate the job. So,sometimes, its worth trying hard to work out why you hate it so much but if there are other things out there that you would rather do, then I feel you should go for them. G has given enough of her/himself and it sounds , on paper as though, if you got out now, at least you could say that you gave it your absolute best shot before and after the crisis point. If it is making you ill, then just don’t do it What is the likelyhood of the future in that job getting better,,, would that be at the expense of your health?
. My job stress may have caused my thyroid to malfunction and I am not proud of that, I have to suffer the consequences now for the rest of my life. and yes, I am applying for a job that the thought of, makes me feel happy inside,, I know it will be something I love and even if I don’t get it, I will be pleased that I made the extra effort, that it takes, to apply.
Lauren Said,
December 11, 2007 @ 7:23 pm
I hate my job. Basically my story is, I moved to a new city in 2006 and was having a hard time getting a job. I eventually hooked up with a temp agency who placed me as a receptionist in a law firm. I was making $10 per hour, working in an extremly stressful law firm under horrible partners doing work that was mind numbingly boring. After 7 months one of my coworkers hooked me up with my current job: making $13 per hour as a legal secretary in another firm. This job is also boring. I’ve been here almost 9 months and I’m ready to leave. My thing is: 1) I’m too over educated for this job and, most importantly, 2) I have ZERO interest in the legal field. I want to work in non-profits, especially non-profit development. I have stumbled into the legal field out of desperation for work. I really want to look for a job after the New Year, but part of me thinks I should give it a year (until March). Then again, another part of me feels like I’m wasting time at a job I don’t want to do in a field I have no interest in. As time goes on, I’m just pidgeonholing myself into a career I hate. I know one thing for sure: lawyers make me miserable.
Lauren Said,
December 11, 2007 @ 7:24 pm
To add to my above comment, the salary I make is pathetic. It comes out to $27,000 BEFORE taxes. I make the least out of all my friends and it is very depressing.
Office lady Said,
December 12, 2007 @ 3:41 am
I first wrote here in Jan. 2007 about my job at that time. With encouragement from this site, I eventually quit in June. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
I’m now at another job and I’m again thinking about leaving (hence I’m here again). Yes, it pays better than my last job, my boss is awesome (I don’t think how anyone can have a better boss), I have benefits and so on. But the work doesn’t inspire me. It’s boring. And I believe I have more potential and more to offer. My job is like acting as a middle-person, passing on requests and documents between our headquarters in the US and our regional offices all over Asia. I don’t “make” anything. I don’t make the documents. People give me documents, I give them to someone else. People give me documents, I compile them in the right order, and give them to someone else.
In my previous job, what drove me to quit was that eventually, I actually DREADED going to work. I’ll actually panic in bed on Sunday night. Here, I don’t dread it, but I just plainly find no point in going to work. I drag my work out throughout the day, just so I have enough to keep my occupied.
Question is, should I leave just after 5 or 6 months here? And go find something that would engage me? Risk losing my income, benefits and not finding a boss as great again?
Top 10 bad excuses for staying in a bad job Said,
April 8, 2008 @ 7:47 am
[…] Never stay in a bad job. Fix it or leave. […]
Bob Said,
April 10, 2008 @ 8:13 am
All of you need to understand about a JOB. It really means (Just Over Broke). My recommendation is to start your own business at get the hell out of Corporate America. Let the H1B visa people work in their companies and make their stockholders rich not you. America has changed for the worse and the companies only care about making vast amounts of money quickly off you backs and not paying you what you deserve. Since loyalty is a thing of the past be loyal to yourself and get out there to start your own business. It may be tough at first but you call the shots and make the decisions yourself. They won’t be able to ship your business oversea like they can you JOB (Just Over Broke).
Bob Said,
April 10, 2008 @ 8:15 am
#
Bob Said,
April 10, 2008 @ 8:13 am
All of you need to understand about a JOB. It really means (Just Over Broke). My recommendation is to start your own business at get the hell out of Corporate America. Let the H1B visa people work in their companies and make their stockholders rich not you. America has changed for the worse and the companies only care about making vast amounts of money quickly off you backs and not paying you what you deserve. Since loyalty is a thing of the past be loyal to yourself and get out there to start your own business. It may be tough at first but you call the shots and make the decisions yourself. They won’t be able to ship your business overseas like they can your JOB (Just Over Broke).