Saying Goodbye ....

Tired, emotionally exhausted, under appreciated, taken for granted, lack enthusiasm, have a bad case of the 'I hate Mondays'?  Does this sound like you?  Well it sounds like you may be one of the rare few that hate their jobs.  LOL what on earth am I talking about EVERYONE hates their jobs! Right?

Well I'm not really sure if everyone really really hates their job.  I know people that hate having to work as it interferes with ..... well life really.  The majority will have to get up early and plod on like a mindless robots, doing the same thing day after day.  We all know the saying 'work to live not live to work', possibly not the best work ethic but fundamentally true.  I think that there are very few jobs out there that don't become mundane after a while.  Take for example Ben Southall who beat 35,000 applicants from 200 countries to become 'Caretaker to the Islands' on the Great Barrier Reef, 'The Best Job in the World'.  Idealic location, 5 star accommodation  jet skiing and diving.  Even with all this Ben says he is exhausted by the long hours and strong work ethic ... and he nearly died when a dangerous jellyfish stung him (cite: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2134388/Ben-Southall-What-happened-man-got-best-job-caretaker-Hamilton-Island.html)  I normally give a new job 6 months before I decide how I feel about it.  In the first 6 months you are caught up with learning all the new stuff, getting to know people and settling in with your new (and usually better) salary.  After 6 months you are no longer the new person, you know by now who the back stabbers are and you are probably looking out for promotions and more money .... 'tis the route of all evil you know *wink*.  

However what happens if you really really hate your job.  Case and point:  I have 'a friend' who had been at a certain level of the work hierarchy for a number of years, but for a few years they were made to take on some of the responsibilities of someone at a higher level without ever being given the pay or formal recognition for it.  Is this a common occurance in the work place? Has this happened to you or anyone you know?  It's awful isn't it.  To the company it's thinking smart ... same results but for less money.  For the employee it's a slow decent into an endless spiral of bitterness and self-doubt.  The company will say 'it's just business' and 'every penny counts' but what these business' fail to comprehend is that a good employee is the most valuable asset they can ever have.  Failure to nurture your staff will result in poor quality results, bad work environment and ultimately espionage when employees walk away with all your secrets and client base!!!!! 

And then there's the health of the employee.  Depression, anxiety, long periods of sickness absence, stress etc etc.  In my (historical) experience this is what can happen in the work place:

1) poor management skills i.e. manager swears at employee, insults their personal life and sometimes doesn't allow them lunch breaks (true story)

2) employee becomes line manager and in retaliation for their own harsh treatment dishes out the same to their subordinates

3) subordinates dish out the same treatment to new members of staff.

4) bad work environment ensues and only the managers 'pub going workmates' get promoted to 'team leader' (also true story) whilst those who don't may start to show symptoms mentioned above.

5) stressed/depressed employees are 'pulled up' for their negative attitudes.  Line manager decides to use stressed/depressed employee as a training tool to teach said 'pub going workmate team leaders' how to criticise and reprimand someone using the infamous 'sandwich method' and other tools designed for maximum public humiliation (oh yes this is also a true story).

6) stressed/depressed employee snaps and goes postal! 

BUT WAIT!!! It doesn't have to end like this (even though some of us have frequent dreams of such a moment).  You may have worked for this job, you may have been there years trying to prove your worth but quitting is not a sign of weakness.  Moving on is the ultimate 'up yours'.  Let the others rip each other to shreds you are off to pastures new.  

So your confidence may be low and you don't like interviews, here are my tips:

1) Go higher.  You have the experience so go for a better position.

2) Do not fear rejection.  You still have a job so you have nothing to lose.  You may get 9 rejections and 1 interview out of every 10 applications.  This does not mean you're not good enough (in some cases jobs are given to internal applicants, applying externally is just a formality).

3) Research the company, look at their statistics and client base.  Be prepared!

4) Listen to your interviewer and ask questions about their company and the work environment.  Look impressed, if they are in the midst of a merger ask how it's going.  Once you have developed a rapport be a bit bolder and tell them what you are after in a prospective company.  Yes they are interviewing YOU but subtly give them the impression that you are interviewing THEM .... Do they deserve you (because basically you're fantastic aren't you).  

5) Do not mention the actual reason for why you want to leave.  Say that you feel that you have contributed all you can within the boundaries of your present company and are looking for a more exciting venture in an up and coming company (flattery will get you anywhere)

6) If they ask you what salary you are on at the moment say something like "well my salary is under review as I have just been appraised and under consideration for a performance related promotion" Tell them the starting salary you would be interested in.  They will haggle you on this so think of a reasonable salary you would be happy with then add a few grand - inform them you are open to negotiation *wink, wink*.

7) When you get the job walk around like the cat that got the cream for the remainder of your old contract.  Ignore the sarcastic comments and work on getting your groove back! 

Move around if you want to.  Those younger, richer manager types get to be so by changing jobs every few years and selling themselves to the highest bidder (because they know they are fantastic!)  You don't even need to change jobs again because horizontal moves can be just as beneficial as vertical moves and quicker then an external move.  Do what JB did and get chatting to another manager in the tea room, you'll be surprised at what doors can be opened from the simple act of sharing a pack of Hob Nobs.  

So this is my quick fix guide to overcoming a case of 'myjobsucksdonkeynuts'.  You can go from runt of the litter to cream of the crop in a few easy steps.  My last piece of advice is do not take anything personally, work is a stage and we are all actors and all fighting to get top billing.

Go forth and conquer, I'll meet you at the top!

Joolz x