(51) Join Toastmasters
Join a local Toastmasters Club that is close to where you work or live. Even better if there is a club hosted by your employer. Toastmasters is a public speaking social club.
Their meetings can help you relax and give you something to look forward to. It is also a great way to connect with other people in addition to building up and polishing your communication and public speaking skills.
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(52) Join your workplace activities
If your workplace organises social gatherings, do make the effort to join in. It’s a great way to expand your internal network or rekindle friendships that you have made previously.
(53) Tweak your job description
You may hate doing a part of your job that requires you to speak to angry customers, for example.
Talk to your manager for a work modification by reducing interaction with customers. Be realistic in your expectations.
Generally, job descriptions are not fixed and can be modified through an agreement with your manager especially if you offer some else in return or a compromise.
(54) Work with your manager to set goals and expectations
Work with your manager to set reasonable but inspiring work goals and work plans that will inspire and motivate you. These goals should help you structure and focus your work. They also set out your manager’s expectations of the level and standard of work he or she requires of you. It avoids ambiguity and future work conflicts.
Achieving these goals can help you create leverage for negotiating a promotion or a salary increase, or provide leeway to switch teams, departments, or roles in the future.
(55) Do more of what you like to do or love doing
Find ways to incorporate more of the work you enjoy doing most. Protect the time in your calendar for parts of your job that you love doing.
(56) Don’t be afraid to ask for support or help
If you feel overwhelmed, swamped with work, or just struggling with an aspect of your job, don’t be afraid to consult a trusted co-worker or talk to your manager about ways you might be able to find support or help.
Your manager may not be aware that you need support or assistance. You should not assume that your manager knows.
(57) Take on new responsibilities or challenging work
Don’t be afraid to ask for new duties and assignments, or challenging work. These may give you a chance to push your limits, learn something new, or have something fresh to look forward to.
Don’t assume that your manager knows what challenges you want at work.
(58) Change your work arrangements
Sometimes a change of work arrangement is what is required.
If you can work from home one day a week to focus your work and get out of the office, talk to your manager about this possibility. Give your explanation or reasons for your request.
(59) Change your work hours
You may consider rearranging your current working hours – working part-time or taking one day off by working longer hours in four days.
This change may only be temporary as you recharge or refocus.
(60) Change your work schedule
You may be struggling to manage unsustainable workloads. The problem could be compounded by technology (i.e., mobile phone, iPads, etc.) and the ‘always-on’ work culture.
For example, intentionally take lunch breaks away from the desk, take lunch-time walks around the block, or tell people that you don’t answer emails when you are not at work.
(61) Only work during office hours
Working all the time may help you get ahead in your career. It comes at a price to you and your family. It also impacts your mental and physical health and well-being.
Having your work phone at your bedside is a recipe for disaster as your mind don’t get to switch off and you don’t get the deep sleep you require to recharge.
If you frequently work late hours or find yourself taking work home with you, it might be time to rethink your priorities and change your work plan or schedule.
(62) Change jobs by staying at your current employer
If there are other job opportunities within the same organisation that you are currently working in, then consider moving into another job, either temporarily or permanently. This job could be similar or entirely different from the one you are currently working in.
This assumes that your manager is prepared to release you, that your skills are transferable, and that you are willing to learn new things.
(63) Ask for performance feedback from your manager
This could be very hard for some people to do.
Asking for your manager’s performance feedback can cut both ways. People generally are bad in giving honest feedback for improvement purposes.
Your manager could tell you the truth about what he or she don’t like about your performance or attitude. That could be the source of your hatred for the job.
There could be no other reason but for the fact that your manager can’t work with you. It’s personal and is causing difficulty at work for you. Both of your chemistries don’t work well together!
(64) Automate boring tasks that you dislike
Many jobs will be transformed by automation and artificial intelligence over time. It’s a question of when not if.
Find creative ways to automate boring tasks at work. There are free technologies and productivity tools that can help you reduce or eliminate those tasks that you dislike. By doing so, it will free you up to do the things that you enjoy.
(65) Do one small act every day to get you to your dream job
If you’re in a situation that can’t be remedied, and you know that someday you’ll want to be doing something different, take one small step every day to get yourself into your dream job.
People don’t plan to fall, but they fail to plan and take action for a better job and career.
If you have been dreaming about starting your own business, acquire the required knowledge and network with the right people.
(66) Get a professional mentor or coach
Find someone you can trust to be your mentor or coach.
Be clear as to what you want out of this relationship. Find that right person.
This person should be ahead of you and have the experience to guide you.
You can have more than one mentor or coach, depending on your circumstances and requirements. They can be your sounding board for different issues and challenges you need guidance on.
(67) See a financial planner
Many people worry about money. They bring that worry and anxiety to their workplaces, causing them to be distracted from work and being disengaged from the tasks at hand.
If you have financial problems or just worried about your finances, do seek the help of a financial planner or counsellor. They can help you sort out your budgets and reorganise your finances so that you have less stress and worry at work.
(68) See a professional counsellor
Family and emotional issues at home can cause you stress and worry at work. It could impact on your work performance and may cause you to dislike your job.
Do seek professional help in addressing deep emotional and mental health issues. You may have experienced trauma that needs to be addressed.
(69) Assess if you fit into the work culture
Culture includes the work environment of your team, the department your team belongs to, and the company you are working in. There are sub-cultures within an organisation that can impact on your job satisfaction.
The culture or atmosphere at work may have shifted since you joined because of a new manager, new team members, a new human resource policy, a new organisational owner, or a new operating model.
If you have been working long in that organisation, you may dislike the evolving culture, causing you to hate your work.
If you enjoy working independently, but the culture is one that encourages teamwork, it’s going to be harder to find any silver lining within your job.
Even if you don’t like the job itself, but you enjoy spending time in the workplace because it’s fun and fulfils your needs and wants, then the situation is much more tolerable.
Be aware that hiring managers look for a cultural fit second to the candidates’ qualifications and experience. If that candidate may not seem to fit into the work culture, then he or she will not be hired.
The reality is that if you don’t fit into your current work culture, it is time to consider other options.
(70) Change employers but staying in the same industry and job title
The decision to change employers should not be taken lightly. The grass may not be greener on the other side. You may even be shifting your work problems to the new employer if you have not addressed those inner issues.
You may stay in the same industry or field but find another employer to hire you in a similar role. The reasons for the change must be clear in your mind as the next employer will ask you this question.
(71) Change job titles in the same industry
You may like the industry that you are currently working in but may want to do something different.
Unless you have transferable skills (especially technical or job-specific skills), you may need to temporarily take a pay cut until you can perform well at that given salary level. There may be some steep learning to do as the job will be new to you.
Do prepare with an answer to the question of why you want a different job role during the job interview.
(72) Change industries but staying with your same job title
If your skills and experience can be transferable to a totally different industry, then you may consider changing industries but staying with the same job title.
You need to convince your interviewers that you can learn about the industry and create value for the organisation.
(73) Start a side-gig or freelance
As a budding entrepreneur, you may want to keep your current job because it pays the bills while starting up a new business, either as a side-gig or a casual freelancer. You are diversifying your focus and interest into something different apart from just performing your work.
In doing so, you are acquiring a different set of skills and experience that will come in handy later if you chose to move on.
(74) Make a radical career change in a new job title and in a new industry
If you are focused and driven, you may even consider making a radical career change in a new job title, in a new industry, and in a new employer.
There will be sacrifices to make as the pay levels may differ. Be prepared to take a pay cut and have some savings to financially support yourself until you can get up to speed in your new job.
This job may also be in a different country or state.
(75) Changing your work location
Finally, people do move between countries or states purely for better job opportunities.
If your family and financial circumstances allow it, this could be an option to learn about different cultures and experiences in different geographical locations.
The work may be more interesting and more in-depth. For example, some cities are considered financial hubs and working in that city will further enrich your working experience in that industry or field.
Final word
Instead of quitting your job, take control of your life and work. Create positive opportunities by trying out one or more of the solutions listed above.
It is easier to change your current job circumstances than to find a new job, especially in today’s challenging times!