Top Tips to Avoid Being in the Wrong Job

I help lots of people to move on from jobs they find unsatisfying to ones that renew their ‘buzz’ for life. One of the reasons I can help people is that I know what it feels like to lose the buzz and find it again.

I know the excuses you can give yourself for not moving on. I know how easy it is to convince yourself that what you’ve got is not so bad after all. That if you move it might be a huge mistake, frying pan into the fire stuff.

And I also understand that the older you get the harder it gets: the more there is to lose. Add to that a growing fear of job uncertainly, and sometimes I know it’s easier to keep your head down in the job you’ve got than risk change.

I also know how staying in the wrong job can deplete you, how it can relentlessly take away your energy. How this feeling can spill over and start to take away your zest for life in general. I know how being in a job that depletes rather than enhances your energy can be like living a slow death.

I’ve looked at the painting by Edvard Munch, ‘The Scream’ and felt a resonance! And the scary thing about all this is that sometimes it can happen and you don’t even notice.

I know about being in the right job, too. The ‘click’. The feeling of flow – that what you do matches what you want to do. Where that irritating clich?, ‘problems are opportunities’ is true! Where rather than hearing clanging, discordant notes in your head, you hear harmony. Where time flies, and it’s a positive feeling.

There’s a huge difference between being in a satisfying job and an unsatisfying one. Below are my top tips to help you avoid being in the wrong job.

1.Rate your satisfaction at work right now

Anything below 7 is a warning sign. If you’re operating below 5, it’s simply unacceptable. You deserve to give yourself better. Ask yourself, is this a temporary dip, or has it been going on for some time? We all have temporary dips, but if yours is something more long term, don’t ignore it. Don’t let it become a habit. Habit breeds tolerance!

2.Work to keep your satisfaction rating high in your current job

However you rate your satisfaction at work, it’s worth putting the effort in to improve it. If you’re one of the highs, beware complacency. If you’re a low, think of how can you be part of the solution rather than the problem. Do a reality check – is it the job, or is it you? Who do you need to talk to about this and what do you need to say? What can you do to make your current work more enjoyable? What goals can you set yourself to inspire you? How can you connect more with people? How can you do more of what makes you buzz?

3.Accept that the need for change is natural

As human beings, we need change. We atrophy if things stay the same. What was challenging and enjoyable before, may constitute rut territory now. As your life moves on, often your work needs to as well. That may mean changing jobs, changing companies, changing careers. It may mean it’s time to set up on your own. What does it mean for you?

4.Have courage

Change isn’t easy, especially when you’re thinking about it. It’s okay to feel scared. There would be no need for courage if you weren’t scared! If you’re worried about what you’ll lose if you leave, what will you lose if you stay? If everyone thinks you’re successful, so what? What do you think? What looks great on paper isn’t necessarily great in reality. What have you really got to lose? Do some big picture thinking.

5.Take action

Ignoring negative feelings, panicking, distracting yourself or feeling guilty don’t help. They just fuel the problem. The famous mystic and poet, Rumi, said ‘Counterfeiters exist because there is such a thing as real gold.’ Think about it. No matter how it seems, you always have choice. Do what you have to do.