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Not all of us gets a good job that effortlessly just falls on our lap. For most of us, getting a good job and career means weeks or even months of religious browsing paper and online classifieds, feverish resume submissions, perfect attendance of job interviews, not to mention the excruciating waiting in between. Looking for a job can be a job itself. It's no wonder then that we're not always ready to let go of a job considering all our efforts to find it.
But sometimes we just have to quit our job. Sometimes we have to know the difference between reasonably sticking it out with a company and foolishly putting up with it. There's a name in psychological studies for this sort of hesitation when it comes to letting go: Learned Self-helplessness. Learned self-helplessness happens when we unconsciously condition ourselves to suffer a problem, locking ourselves into our conflicting situation and believing there's nothing better out there for us anymore.
If you have a crappy job, take heart; you're not alone. Not all of us have the perfect dream job, at least at the start, so we suggest you give your job a chance first before you walk out of the door.
Try to identify aspects in your current job that you can improve. For example, you could suggest to the boss more flexible hours, decrease in work quota, or you can even ask for a salary increase, etc. If you think the state of things in your current job doesn’t permit favorable changes, and you really are caught in a deadlock, then it’s probably to make a graceful exit.
It isn't as easy as listing the pros and cons of your job and see who wins. But go ahead because it'll help you evaluate things more concretely. Make sure you know how to assess the pros and cons. A pesky co-worker for instance is not a valid "con" compared to more serious reasons such as intense and uncomfortable hierarchy in the office or the pay not being commensurate to your skill’s worth in the market. Study your list and make sure you'll be retaining your pros and counteracting the cons in the next job you take.
Assess your future in the company. You've probably been asked during the interview how you see yourself in five or ten years and you probably rattled off some idealistic, impressive answer. Now, it's time to ask yourself that question again, and this time, really be honest in your reply.
You’re not growing in your job anymore. Instead, you’re uninspired, not motivated and challenged. Burn-out has crept up on you, and what’s worse, you feel outdated. It’s a fierce world out there where knowledge and skills turn obsolete in the blink of an eye. If you feel you’re not learning anything new in your job anymore, you might want to get training to update yourself. Remember, you will want to stay in-demand and indispensable in the job market, so have a job you can excel in and at the same time have lots of things to teach you always.
We've all heard of the proverbial disgruntled employee; be sure that if you'll be one though, you do it for the right reasons. Quitting a job is a life-changing decision, and for all you know, a life-change and breakthrough is really what you need.
For a change, don’t call in sick at your office. Call in healthy instead, leave your job for good, and find a healthier one.
Neoli Marcos is the Content Provider for Jobs Online - OzFree Online. Oz Free Online Job Search provides an employment and job listing opportunity in Australia. Post resumes and let employers with job openings find you. |
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