Hate work

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If you're in a career you hate and you haven't been able to figure out how to get out of it, you've come to the right place. As a career coach for over 20 years, I've worked with thousands of people in your position. The good news is that there are a couple of simple steps you can follow to successfully get out of a career you hate and into one you love.

You Don't Have To Climb The Hill Anymore


@j.t.odonnell How to get out of a career you HATE. 🤢 #careertiktok #jobtiktok #careeradvice #jobtok #careertok #job #career #jobshopper #workitdaily #jobsearchtips #careerchange #changecareers ♬ original sound - J.T. O'Donnell

​Imagine there are two roads in front of you.

The first road is a huge hill. You would have to go up this hill to see what's on the other side.

The second road is a straight, flat path. It would be easy to take. It's really long. But at the very end of it, far off in the distance, you can see a beautiful house, your dream house. You know if you just got on this path and followed it step by step at your own pace, you would eventually get to this beautiful home.

Which road are you going to take? The huge hill where you don't know what's on the other side? Or the straight path that might take some time to travel, but you can see exactly what you're going to get? Obviously, the straight path.

But here's the thing: you've been climbing the hill because that's what people told you to do, right? Climb that hill, get to the top, and then you weren't happy. So you climbed another hill, got to the top, and weren't happy again. Why would you ever want to do that again?

You don't have to climb the hill. The problem is that school never taught us this. They never taught us how to fix career dissatisfaction. And your employer is never going to teach it to you because that would mean you'd probably leave your job.

So where are you going to learn how to do this? Where do you figure out how to have a straight path to the destination you're looking for?

How To Get Out Of A Career You Hate (In 2 Easy Steps)


Woman on laptop learns how to get out of a career she hates

1. Embrace Microlearning

The first step to getting out of a career you hate is embracing microlearning. Microlearning is a concept that involves taking five to 15 minutes out of your day (every day) to learn something new. These small, but consistent, chunks of time you're dedicating to learning something new are rewiring your brain to help you understand and close your knowledge gaps so that you can get what you want out of your career.

With microlearning, you start at a really slow walk. But over time, you start to get addicted to it. It's exciting, and it becomes a habit. You start to feel empowered and you go from a slow walk to a full-on run, and that's how you get to your destination faster.

2. Tap Into Your Professional Strengths

The second step to getting out of a career you hate is tapping into your unique combination of professional strengths. You need to know how you like to create value on the job. When you understand how you like to create value, you can build a personal brand that you can then use to market to the right employers to land your dream opportunities.

This is how you go from being a random job seeker (climbing a hill) to being a focused job shopper who's getting exactly what he or she wants (straight path). That's the difference.

Want to learn your professional strengths and gain access to a platform built for microlearning?

Become a Work It Daily member. It's time to get out of a career you hate and find one you'll love.

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How To Get Out Of A Career …

Why You’re TERRIFIED To Find A New Job (Even If You’re Completely Miserable)



You hate your job. You find yourself complaining about it daily to your family and friends. Every Sunday night, you tell yourself that you're finally going to quit and find a new job because you just can't take it anymore. But you don't.

Instead, you go to work, come home, complain, and start the whole cycle over again. You're completely miserable in your current job, but you're absolutely terrified to find a new job. Why?

You're Afraid Of The Unknown


Woman on laptop scared to find a new job

Yes, starting a new job can be scary. You have to adapt to a new work environment, make new work friends, and even learn some new skills—and you don't know if you'll even like it after everything's said and done. What if it turns out to be worse than your last job? What if they don't like you? What if you don't fit in? What if you don't perform at the level they expected? It's similar to starting at a new school where you don't know anyone, where anything is, or how your teachers are going to be.

The truth is, starting a new job can be intimidating. You're walking into a new situation and you're not sure what to expect. The best thing you can do is get to know the company as much as you can before accepting a job offer there. Learn it inside and out, make an effort to get to know people you'd be working with over LinkedIn or coffee, and ask questions that can give you insight into the company culture.

You're Not Confident In What You Have To Offer


Man on laptop scared to find a new job

Don't feel like you've got what it takes to make it anywhere else? Afraid to find a new job because you don't want to look like an incompetent employee? If you think you're lacking the skills to succeed elsewhere, take an inventory of your skill sets. Then, compare them to the skill sets that are required for the jobs you're considering.

What are you missing? Where do you need to ramp up your skills? Do you have additional skills that could lend themselves to the job? Make a list of the skills you have and the ones you need to develop.

You're Not Really Sure What You Have To Offer


Woman on laptop frustrated at work

You need to understand what you have to offer so you can market yourself effectively to employers.

Again, go in and take a look at your skill sets. Think about past accomplishments at work. What have you achieved? What are you proud of? What problem do you solve at your current company? Make sure you quantify your work experience on your resume so employers know what you have to offer and can see the value you provide as a business-of-one.

You Don't Know What You Want To Do Next


Man on laptop stressed about finding a new job

You want to find a new job, but you have no idea what you want to do. All you know is that you hate your current job and you want out. If you're having trouble figuring out what you want to do next, you need to take some time to explore.

Research different jobs, industries, and companies. Talk to people about their work—why they like it, hate it, and what excites them about it. Take some time to figure out what interests you and what projects energize you.

You're Afraid Of The Financial Repercussions


Woman on laptop miserable at work

What if you don't get the benefits you have at your current job? What if you have to take a pay cut? What if it takes too long to find a new job and you run out of money? Research competitive salary rates using Glassdoor's salary calculator before you look for a new job. Also, research the companies you're interested in to learn about what kinds of benefits they offer employees.

It's important to understand what your priorities and must-haves are in your new job. The last thing you want to do is accept a job knowing that it won't meet your needs because it will just result in you looking for a new job in a few months. However, understand that you might not necessarily make the same paycheck as your current job. Research so you know what to expect.

If you're terrified to find a new job, you're not alone. We hope that by identifying these fears and following the tips above, you'll have the confidence and courage to look for your next job. Remember: you'll never know what you can do until you try!

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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Why You’re TERRIFIED To Find A New …

Dread Going To Work? How To Deal With The Feeling



You dread going to work. Every morning is the same: you have to drag yourself out of bed. It's not that the body is weak. It's that the mind is not willing. Most of us know that. Many people have felt that way at least at one point in their careers. Is there a way to overcome the dread of going to work every day?

I am not sure if I have the absolute solution, but these are some of the strategies I have personally tried in my years of experience:

Don't Dwell


Do not let Monday blues or the "dread going to work" syndrome become your dominant thought. Yes, I know it is easier said than done. But you have to start somewhere, and that somewhere is your thought process.

The more you think about how much you dread work, the deeper you will dwell on that feeling. Stop thinking about it. Take that thought out and focus your thoughts on something else.

Locate The Source Of Your Dread


Man dreading work tries to work through his lack of motivation

Find out the source of your dread. Otherwise, you will not be able to tackle it. Do not complain if you do not know what you are complaining about.

Why do you dread going to work? Is it because of your co-workers, your boss, your routine work, your pay, or the commute?

Write all the reasons down and see if you can tackle them. I am sure resignation has crossed your mind. But before you do that, let's see if there is a way to alleviate your feelings of dread. We cannot expect life to be perfect, or work to be perfect, for that matter.

Seek Not Perfection


Woman dreading work looks at her calendar

Like I stated above, life is not perfect. Why should work be? Accept that things being imperfect is how things work. If you expect perfect colleagues, perfect bosses, perfect resources, or perfect processes, then you are in for a shock.

There can never be a perfect system, perfect factory, and perfect office wherever you work. Because, trust me, no matter how high your pay is, it can always be higher; no matter how good your colleagues are, they can always be better; and no matter how understanding your boss is, he or she can always be better.

Seek not perfection if you do not want to dread going to work. Seek adaptation—adaptation from yourself. What can you do to make the work environment better?

Think Of Work As A Pedagogue


Man dreads going to work

Ever think that the process of work can also teach us something about life? Think of work as a pedagogue.

It teaches us that we do not always have things our way, and that life can sometimes mean having to do things we do not like or even enjoy. But it's only temporary, and we have a choice of doing something about it.

Use this experience of dreading work as your teacher. What does it teach you? Ask and answer, and you will immediately see this experience in a different light.

There is something you can do about the feeling of dread you get when thinking about work. Do not fear it. Sit down calmly and have an action plan to tackle it. When you start working on a plan to diffuse it, you will feel better—even if the plan does not work long term. Remember: every job is temporary! You'll get through this rough patch in your career soon.

We know most people don't enjoy going to work, especially if they're feeling lost, trapped, or burned out in their career. If you're struggling to find a job that you like, we can help.

We'd love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades.

It's time to find work that makes you feel happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. Join our FREE community today to finally become an empowered business-of-one!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

Acquiring Job Advance Your Career Career Changing Careers and Employment Education Internship

Dread Going To Work? How To Deal …