How are things going at your job, okay? I ask because I know some of my clients that are really stressed out about their jobs. They tell me that they stay late at work, sometimes until 10 o’clock at night. They work really hard and then when it’s annual review time they are told that they can’t get promoted or a raise in salary. Some tell me that they cry or get depressed on Sunday nights or every morning before they get to work. While they are at work they are miserable and just freaking unhappy all together. I have never had an experience to that extreme. Once, when I was writing for a direct mail company, I dreaded going to work and that was mostly because I didn’t have any co-workers that I could talk to. The cube walls were like cages and I felt like I was locked in. But being so depressed about my job that I’m becoming ill or crying is not something I ever experienced or want anyone else to experience.
If the above describes how you feel about your job, then you need to consider finding another job. I can’t tell you how much it annoys me when people complain about their jobs and then don’t do anything to change their situation. Day in and day out they complain how their boss is not treating them right, they are not getting enough money, they are asked to do things that are not in their job description, and the list goes on. And yet, when you ask them, “Why don’t you leave?” the excuse they give is, “Well, I have so much work I don’t have time to look for another job.” That’s a load of crap. If you are really unhappy with your situation, only you have the power to change it. And if you don’t, please stop talking because I don’t want to hear it anymore. I’m going to stop ranting and raving at you for now. I’ve asked Rich Gee, Executive Career Coach of Rich Gee Group to educate us all on how to handle ourselves at an unfulfilling, crappy job. And let me tell you, it was a very enlightening experience. After you read this article, you’ll be more motivated to do something about your current situation.
Review time
Let’s start with the review situation I brought up earlier. You know you are going to get a review every six or twelve months, depending on your company’s policy. So in anticipation of that review, “constantly keep an account of your accomplishments. Write down everything you’ve done and put a dollar amount next to it. Also note what kind of effect the projects made to and for the company, such as you wrote copy for an ad that won an award for the company. Pick five or ten things that were really effective,” says Gee.
Another strategy is to constantly give your boss weekly update sheets, whether you meet with them regularly or not. Your update sheet should include: a list of all your accomplishments from the previous week; projects you are currently working on for the week; projects on the horizon, weeks away; and any concerns and issues you’re having, if any. By giving your boss update sheets you are showing them what you’re doing and keeping communication open between you and them. And the bonus is that when it’s time for your review, your part is already done. Plus, your boss knows exactly what you’ve done, because you have kept them informed all year long. It also helps in keeping you accountable to see what you need to get done.
Now, sometimes you have an idea of what will happen at your review. Even though you have done stellar work and documented it, your boss might still tell you that you can’t get that raise or promotion. Rich Gee says, “Get your resume ready and be prepared to leave if they are not respecting you monetarily because the only way you will make significant gains in salary is to change jobs.”
That is so true. Throughout my job career, I’ve increased my salary significantly in eight years and that was not by staying with one company. Most companies, at least in my experience, only do a 2-4% increase in salaries each year. When I got my first job in 2002, my salary was $33,000 and I only got a 3% raise. That brought me to a whopping $33,990. If I had stayed I would have only gotten a little over $39,000 in five years. Thank goodness I’m making more than that now. So like Rich said, if you are looking to make more money, then you gotta move on.
In our parent’s generation, they got with a company and stayed with them for years and years. But that is not the case in our generation. Gee says you should change jobs every 2-3 years. Get in there, get the experience, make some good connections and when you have mastered that skill, move on to bigger and better things. “Corporate ADD is good for your career,” says Gee.
Don’t quit, yet
Please don’t just up and quit your job. You have to have a strategy and you need to know someone. As the saying goes, “It’s not what you do, it’s who you know.” So your mission is to go out there and get to know people. Gee strongly suggests you keep your business card file full and up to date. You should go through and contact the people in your file every six months. You don’t have to have a long conversation just call for a couple of minutes to see how they’re doing. You never know, they may be able to help you later on.
Also, have strategic lunches. One to two times a week have lunch away from your desk. Come out of your comfort zone. Eat with people from other departments, have lunch with people you meet at networking events. You need to constantly be networking whether you are looking for new job now or not.
But don’t just hang out with anyone. Gee says you should take out a sheet of paper and make two columns. On one side, write a list of people who energize you, the people who when you are around them get you motivated. On the other side, write down the people who drain you. You know the type, they are miserable and when you finish hanging out with them you are emotionally exhausted. After you complete your list, hang out more with the people who energize you and less with the people who drain you. Also make a conscious effort to be an energizing person to be around.
As I mentioned earlier, people stay at their jobs being miserable for way too long. I asked Gee why would someone do that when they are obviously miserable. He said many people have stayed too long at companies because they get lazy. They like the money, the benefits, and have friends at their job and are generally afraid of the unknown. But you got to break out of that thinking. The company’s goal is to keep you content so you won’t leave. Don’t fall for it!
You’ve finally had enough
When people finally decide they want to leave, some feel guilty if they go out on job interviews during their lunch break or take a day off to research. Gee flat out told me, “The (company) doesn’t care about you. It’s not a marriage, it’s a business transaction.” So go out there and interview if that is what you need to do.
And if you need help during the transition, consider using a career coach. The cost can range from $250-$500 a month and is a good investment. Their job is to help you find a better job by guiding you and pushing you to challenge yourself beyond your comfort zone. And then after you’ve gotten the job, they go away.
I know what you’re thinking: “I can’t look for another job. I have so much to do here.” But just remember, you were hired to work 40 hours a week and by law your employer cannot make you work more than that. They may guilt you into staying longer but keep in mind that any hours you work after that, if you are a salaried employee, are free labor for the company. Gee suggests you slowly stop working so hard at the job and slowly start your job search. Do things incrementally.
At the end of the day you are the CEO of your own company and if your company is stagnant then you need to do something about it.
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