Reasons her job sucks
Dear Ronnie Ann … I just found your website today, and I have to say it’s really helpful to me. I’m not sure I can take this advice completely to heart and turn around my daily situation. But I understand the idea behind it. And even though my job sucks, I know I should at least make an effort to be more positive.
But it’s not easy. My boss is constantly acting on whims and it seems like half the time I’ll be in the middle of something that seemed urgent. Then it’s like, “what happened to this project?” It just floats off into thin air as another urgent whim takes priority, only to be abandoned a week later.
Random seemingly important decisions are made without others’ involvement. And a myriad of other rage-inducing things I could elaborate on, but won’t right now.
And she’s not alone
Point being, it seems that all of us at the company are miserable. I approach requests and interactions with a smile. And I try to up the morale by baking things or bringing in snacks for everyone now and again. Unfortunately this guy’s the CEO so there is honestly no “waiting it out” with this one.
⇒ Why Won’t My Boss Retire Already!
It’s come down to my emotional well-being suffering. And I know I need to leave. But I’ve been sending resumes and interviewing for a year now and haven’t found anything that seems to suit me. And I’m terrified of having another job that appears all happy-go-lucky during the interview, then is like a horrible trap once employed.
Oh how she wishes … but hard to leave
Sometimes I actually daydream about working at a cafe for minimum wage so I could just be free of corporate clutches for awhile. But even full-time at a place like that wouldn’t pay enough for rent. I’m making a decent salary and I’m only a few years out of college with lots of executive-level responsibilities. But having those perks is truly not worth sacrificing happiness and mental health.
Also your statement “You earn respect in each new situation; it’s not due you.” I want to challenge it just a little bit! When I approach people, I generally give them respect unless they give me reason not to. I’ve encountered this whole “work your way up” “prove yourself” type mentality in the workplace and it makes me feel horrible. It’s like, “trust me, and if you thought I was competent enough to do a good job and hired me, continue that attitude after the fact.”
That’s just my two cents though!
~ Stuck and Sad
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My response to Stuck and Sad:
I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this situation. But thank you for your GREAT comment on earning respect. You are so right … that’s the way it should be. It’s certainly the way I try to operate as a boss. In my original answer, I was just trying to let people know how things are in many real-life work situations.
But your two cents are much appreciated and add an important perspective. And to that point, please let me clarify with this more recent post:
⇒ Boss Treats You Badly? It’s Not Your Fault!
Your comment tells me you’ve thought this through and this doesn’t sound like a great match for you. I sense in you someone who is going to find a better way. Even if it takes a while, don’t be afraid to start planning for it now.
Not that I’m telling you to do this, but early in my career when I had a job I couldn’t stand, I often chose to get out anyway. Sometimes if you wait forever for the “right” job, the wrong one eats away at you in ways that don’t even help you interview well enough to get out!
A “corporate way” you feel good about?
It’s true, there is a corporate way in general, and it may not be the right match for your career needs. But then again, not all corporations are exactly alike. You never know when another one might fit you better.
A slightly different corporate personality (a different CEO helps too) can make a big difference in your everyday work life. And don’t forget nonprofits (Idealist.org may have local jobs) or academia. (If you’re near a college or university, go to their website and look for openings.)
Please keep trying. Sending out resumes is not enough. Network. Do some volunteer work that you care about. (Might get you to a nonprofit job you never imagined.) Let everyone in your life and everyone you meet know you’re looking. Be creative in your search.
Make it a fun thing — less time thinking / talking about how bad your current job is (not that YOU do that) and more time thinking about what you really want. And when you talk to people, express how excited you are about finding something you could really sink your teeth into. It gets others engaged in your quest. I found some of my most interesting jobs this way.
⇒ Career Coach Yourself? Two Exercises To Get You Started
More things to try if current job sucks
I rarely say this, but … if you have the funds to afford it, maybe you’d consider letting your corporate job (while you have it) pay for a career / life coach. There must be some good ones in your area. Although they don’t have all the answers, a coach can help you see things you might be missing. And help you set and follow goals towards what you really want. Why keep doing what’s not working? Maybe what you truly want is a totally different career?
Another idea — from my own files — is to save every penny you can for the next 6 months, say good-bye to your current job, and let yourself do some lower-paying temp jobs, just to see what else is out there. It’s also a great way to be seen by other companies. If you’re sharp and good at networking once you get in, job offers can come your way.
Even after I had my MBA, when I wanted a change — or needed to get away from a job that sucks — sometimes I’d just go do temp work. (Also gave me a great amount of material for this blog.) A few times I turned a temp job into a full-time gig at a much higher level.
I always smiled, did my job the best I could, let people know a little about what I really do, and looked for opportunities to arise. And they did. Not EVERY time. But often enough. (Of course, if the temp job sucked, I asked for a different one. But I still always tried my best.)
Idea I probably should have led with…
…since it’s in my original post. Maybe try to help your current boss improve the work process. If you haven’t already done this and if it’s at all possible (not all bosses will go for this!), it might pay to ask your boss if you may speak to him about some ideas you have to help make things even better. (Note … I worded that very carefully not to be on the attack; that just gets the other person’s defenses up.)
Maybe you and he — and a few others if he would be open to it — could start to meet regularly about ways to improve morale and efficiency. (Something for everyone.) While he probably won’t change all his ways, if you set goals together and IF he is willing to at least try, you could actually help improve things for everyone.
Time & patience but maybe…
It takes time and patience, but even a little could make a huge difference. Managing up is sometimes your best friend when you have a boss like yours who is clearly not a good manager.
Since, as you suggest, all corporate jobs might be similar, being able to help change an organization from the inside is a powerful tool for you to have. (And then eventually you could become an organizational consultant and charge a lot more money for doing this kind of stuff! 🙂 )
If any of that speaks to you … great. If not, I have a feeling you have enough creativity in you to find a solution on your own.
Good luck!
~ Ronnie Ann
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If you’re curious, this post came from a comment in another post:
About the author…
Ronnie Ann, founder of Work To the Wise and Work Coach Cafe, bases her real-world advice on her many years as an organizational consultant where she helped interview and hire people, added to a certificate from NYU in Career Planning & Development, as well as her many adventures as a serial job seeker.
More posts to help
Real Problem (Maybe) If Your Job Feels Wrong
How Changing Your Attitude Can Change Your Job!
How To Change Your Job Without Quitting
Putting a New Perspective To Work
When Emotions Take Over In the Workplace
What To Do If Your Job Makes You Miserable
Do You Feel You’re Not Appreciated at Work?
Why Do I Always Pick the Wrong Job?
How To Deal With a Bully Boss
My Boss Has a Favorite and It’s NOT Me
Are You Afraid To Talk To Your Boss?
Why It’s So Easy To Get Mad at Your Boss
And just in case you do need to leave
⇒ How To Quit a Job (Without Hurting Yourself)
And for job search help:
Job Search Resource Center
I just read this and man…I get it. I left a job that I didn’t really love for what seemed to be the best opportunity of my life. I came up with a business plan, pitched it to the owner of a small company and finally got his buy in. I came on board as the outbound business sales manager. The Salary was high, but the commission potential was huge, provided we did what I said my division would do.
That’s when things got awful. First he told me that even though he had hired me with 2 weeks of vacation time, he was going to just make it one. Then he told me that I should hire five reps under me, but scaled it back to 3 and then decided 2 would be a better number. Then he decides to raise the prices on the services we sell. I roll with the punches and try to stay positive. I find my first employee and then a second, but the second employee tries to negotiate a higher salary, not even that much more. Rather than negotiate back, the owner (without consulting me) writes back saying that we don’t need his services. Finally hired my second rep and we were ready to take off. After taking 2 weeks to train the reps, they get to their job. The first month finishes before I start getting menacing calls about the team “not producing”. Of course the sales cycle is 4-8 weeks, so there couldn’t be any successes at this point. End of the story was as follows…the owner basically gave us no leeway on being able to discount our service, didn’t follow through with the customers we did sell, and then wound up telling me to fire my reps. This was after 2.5 months in a brand new department within a company. I asked him if we could roll them into our inbound team and after hours debating the merits of this with him, he begrudgingly agreed. The package he offered them was a 25% pay cut, less commission potential AND no paid holidays/time off. Yeah they will get thanksgiving off, but they wont be paid for the day. In general, he’s not a good boss and there really is no way to get through to him.
I’m only stuck in this job until January, but I’ll say this. There is no way in the world that I could continue working for someone who runs a business like this. If your manager/owner is really awful, you just have to leave. Save up, find something you enjoy doing. There are jobs out there for those of us that are motivated, but don’t stick around if things are futile.
Hi KG,
Thanks for sharing your story. Sorry you’ve had such a frustrating experience.
I wish you the best of luck in getting through it.
Best,
Chandlee
i agree — the simple answer seems to be to find a new job. though you say you make a good salary, your mental (and potentially physical) well being are probably worth more to you than your salary. finding a job can be a challenge, but you should think about your goals after this experience — maybe your standards are too high?
Ah! Thanks for letting me know, N.W. Will probably post in a day or two.
Again, I wish you all the best!
Ronnie Ann
No problem Ronnie. Just glad to help someone else going through the same issues. N.W. is fine as a credit.
Thanks for the great comment N.W!!! I can’t improve on such wisdom. 🙂
If I may, I’d like to feature your words in a post because I think it speaks to so many of us! Would that be ok? If so, just let me know how to credit you.
Congratulations on your baby and on a decision that worked so well for you. I wish you all the best.
Ronnie Ann
Stuck and Sad, I was in your shoes exactly. In addition to flitting from issue to issue and being unable to stick to an agenda, I’m sure my boss (the owner of the company) had some real psychological issues, as she could be overly nice one day, then raging and irrational the next. I was there for years, in a management position with good pay, and most of the time I felt “stuck and sad” like you. But then, one day I had an opportunity to get out in the most positive light possible: maternity leave. I took this time to really think about myself and my life and decided that even if I had to tough it out for a few months, I’d quit my job and try to find something else. I’m still looking for the right full-time job, while doing some freelance work, but I’m a much happier person than I ever was in my old, stress-inducing position. I learned from first-hand experience that money does not buy happiness. Much better to find a way to move on if you possibly can, and get away from being “stuck and sad” all the time. Life is too short.