The New Year is a great time to analyze your job and the
satisfaction you get from doing it. Running the rat race
is just that, scurrying around only to find that at the
end of the day or week you are still not happy about who
you are and what you do. For many people they think
exercise, changing their eating habits, or learning a new
sport or language will make a difference in their
emotional and physical well being. Fortunately for some
that’s all it takes, but for others a complete job
makeover is the only way.
Today, changing employers is nothing that can be
accomplished over-night. It may take a year or more
because good paying jobs are scarce. There are, however
specific things you can do to begin this metamorphosis.
You must first acknowledge that a change is imminent and
that drastic measures are needed. Below are ten signs that
clearly indicate that you need a complete job makeover.
1. You become physically ill upon arriving at work or
feel the need to drive past the parking lot and return
home
2. Friday offers no relief, it is just a distressing
reminder that Monday looms in the not too distant future
3. Work activities are dull and boring and you sit with
your door closed or in your cubicle playing computer games
4. You physical health is failing, you feel exhausted
and listless
5. You stop playing office politics and avoid trying to
please your boss and keep peace with co-workers
6. You come to a realization that no matter how hard
you work or what you accomplish nothing satisfies you
7. Your promotional options no longer exist; the
company has permanently frozen the Human Resource
Department
8. You go home talking to family and friends about
how horrendously unhappy you are at your job
9. You dream of leaving your job and moving to a
remote island in the South Pacific, no seriously,
leaving friends, family, your life and never looking
back
10. You feel lost, hopeless and no matter what anyone
says there is no real answer, it’s a lose-lose
situation
It’s no secret that most people will not admit that
life has gotten this bad, but for those special few it
is a sad reality. What’s a worker bee to do? Exercise
your options.
Research your career field and consider a career change.
Changing jobs can mean exchanging one sad situation for
another or it can be the life saving rope that pulls you
into a new existence. Don’t just start putting in for
jobs, go to different companies that peak your interest
and ask to visit and talk to those who work in your
“ideal” field. The best time to do this is when you
have a job and you’re not pressed for a new one. Make
little personal calling cards, not business cards,
calling cards that say:
John K. Doe
Project Manager
(555) 555-5556
Cell (555) 555-5557
The back of the card should read:
Just a reminder…
I visited on (date)
to get information about (your project management teams)
Thanks for your assistance,
I will keep in touch. (And do just that, every 8-10
weeks drop the person an email and find out how things
are going at their company, you have now possibly made a
friend or at least a contact in an industry of interest)
Update your employment information and references
Write a new resume and begin calling your references
to make sure you are still in good standing. Apply for a
few jobs out of state or in another city. You don’t
have to accept an interview but you do need to see who
is hiring and what they are expecting from the new
applicants they’re bringing onboard.
Once you decide that you must follow through with
this transformation, brush up on your interviewing
skills and start to prepare for the best. Nothing lifts
the spirits more than knowing you are of real worth to
another employer.
There is no reason to walk through life being unhappy
when you are spending almost half of your
“life-time” at a job you dislike. Don’t plan in a
vacuum, let your family know how you feel, their support
is important. Whether you are a mom, dad, or single
worker bee you are the glue that binds your family and
friends together and your happiness is essential. If a
cross-country move is in order, do it. Plan accordingly
and know that change is truly an natural part of life.
Are
you looking for career coaching and career
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