Like many of you, I have not always been in my dream job. I also have not always been in my dream career, pursuing a path that brought me fulfillment or recognition. When I worked for a competitive bank I didn’t particularly love performing financial analyses or dealing with overly zealous and stuck-up senior officers. I knew I could survive the credit training program and successfully review company financial statements, yet I was a misfit with this industry. I was frustrated but knew I needed to make the most of the opportunity. Recognizing that this stop on my journey may not be for long, I decided to think of ways to make it bearable and grow. [Tweet “When we’re not in our dream jobs, we can still grow and learn.”] So maybe I didn’t “love” the job I was with, but I made a pact with myself to explore ways to not only make it palatable, but to look for parts of the job that I could add to my tool kit. We all need to grow that toolbox with all sorts of experiences and knowledge. Believe it or not, those very jobs that challenge us the most often teach us the most.
Don’t despair when you feel like you are in the wrong job for this is actually the perfect time to try out your leadership techniques.
COMMIT TO A LEARNING EXPERIENCE
We have two choices when we feel unsettled in a job: be a victim or take action. Some of us become paralyzed unable to make a move in a positive direction. Some of us acknowledge the less-than–perfect role and decide to discover ways to tackle new skills and opportunities. Be a doer and discover ways to grow.
DISSECT ALL ASPECTS OF YOUR JOB
A great way to begin to find ways to grow is to reflect on all of your job responsibilities and choose a few that may seem more appealing and align with your interests. I knew I needed to connect more with people than numbers, so I reviewed the elements of my position that led me to more people contacts. Locate those more intriguing tasks and decide how to lead with them.
ASK FOR NEW RESPONSIBILITIES
Decide what new areas you want to become more skilled and speak up to find ways to creatively add those types of assignments. As we all know, sitting back and waiting for something to come our way is a waste of time. Being proactive and helping others to understand our project choices can often lead us to meaningful work. Tell others how you want to enrich your current position.
PLAN FOR YOUR NEXT MOVE
We all deserve to dream and prepare for our next opportunity. What kind of job would you really love and what kind of organization would complement your style? As you find ways to grow in your present situation, never stop mapping out your next step. We need to leverage all the skills and knowledge we obtain in each job and choose wisely to help us build our story and career. Lead the charge to action.
What have you done when you weren’t in the job you loved? How did you survive? How did you prepare for your next move?
Terri,
We can make the most out of a good to fair situation. We just need to focus on the right things, as you point out. One to add is to focus on an existing or new skill you want to develop and take to the next level. Instead of focusing on what this isn’t the job you love, use your time to hone the skill you love. This will take you far as your career progresses.
Thanks!
Jon
Love the idea of focusing on a new skill we may want to develop! It can be so helpful for us to cultivate an untapped strength that may need fine tuning to get us ready for our next opportunity. When I hear challenges that leaders face in my workshops, I try to listen to what might make their positions more manageable. Without fail, we come up with ways to add to our toolboxes and reposition ourselves so we are primed and ready to welcome a leap.
I so appreciate your insightful additions, Jon!
Terri
Really good suggestions Terri. I know from personal experience that sometimes, even when you do those things, you can find that you still really don’t love your job. If you love yourself, though, the best thing in the situation where you’ve made good effort (to love the job you’re with but were unsuccessful), is to look for a different job. Otherwise, not only will you be unhappy; but, others around you may also become unhappy with you. Thoughtful post with really good suggestions, Terri. Thanks for sharing.
I agree with you Joy that sometimes no matter what we do, the job is just not a good fit for us and we need to leave sooner than later.
I just think we have more control than we think by trying to leverage new skills and strengths as well as learnings from different people. I also find that when we tackle projects that we thought we would dislike, we often grow and benefit the most from those.
Thanks for taking the time and sharing your meaningful additions!
Excellent post. Just for fun, here’s my thinking on the topic.
http://letsgrowleaders.com/learning-development/4-ways-to-love-the-job-you-hate/
Thanks Karin for sharing your post! It has great ideas as well and I guess we are on the same wave length!
We really can empower ourselves to learn new things in most situations and take those new lessons on the road to our next stop.
Thanks so much!
Hi Terri,
First, I love your title — a takeoff from a song in the show/movie Finian’s Rainbow — and so subtly done. Bravo!
Then the guts of your post filled me with a bit of pride for doing exactly what you wrote. Learn from the horrible jobs — and I had 3 before I started my own company. Yet I did learn and have even looked back and realized I might not be what I am today without those trials and struggles.
Lastly, a life of learning in my opinion is a life of joy. Learning is my comfort. It’s always there for me even when the world is cold or unwelcoming. It buoys my spirit.
Love your post and grateful to read it as I walked down a rocky memory lane.
Warmest thanks,
Kate
You said it so well Kate that we do learn from our “horrible jobs” and those experiences empower us, as they did you, in discovering a worthy and satisfying career.
I wrote this post thinking that sometimes we feel we have no control over jobs that don’t align with who we are. In reality, we can look at these imperfect situations and figure out ways to learn new skills to enrich our long-term path.
It is evident you are a life-long learner interested in exploration and growth. That quality will help you in every mountain you need to climb!
Thanks Kate for stopping by and adding your great comments!
Terri
I’m singing now, Terri!
I think all of us have been in a job that we hate at one point or another. It helps to remember that nothing is forever and we can make changes that bring us more happiness by implementing some of your tips (like asking for new/more responsibilities).
I’ve also used a job that I hated to help point me towards what I love when before I think it wasn’t very clear. There are gifts in every situation!
You’re too funny but it is a catchy tune!
I love your idea of: “There are gifts in every situation!” It is the ideal way to look at these misaligned job situations. Look at what works somewhat and try to build on those developmental areas. Or, do some relationship building by reaching out to the stronger leaders and shadow their practices and strategies.
Thanks Alli for always adding a great perspective!
Love this post, Terri.
So many of us are in jobs that we can’t quit or in situations that will not allow us to move to another job.
This was a great statement: “So maybe I didn’t “love” the job I was with, but I made a pact with myself to explore ways to not only make it palatable, but to look for parts of the job that I could add to my tool kit.”
And sometimes that’s all we can do…look for the positive in the midst of a bunch of negative stuff. Still, it’s our choice what we focus on and life is too short to only look at the negative.
Thanks!
I agree LaRae that staying positive and optimistic when we are not in our choice jobs can go a far way as that attitude empowers us to get the most out of a challenged situation.
I did have to talk myself into how I was going to survive the imperfect job. Once I was committed to learning something and using that knowledge and experience towards my next move, I was able to perform just fine.
Looking for that ray of sunshine or hope can really get us through and enable us to take critical actions.
Thanks LaRae for your insightful and upbeat additions!
Hi Terri,
Few things feel as bad as being trapped in a less than ideal job you can’t afford to quit. I’ve found it debilitating and suffocating.
I have also found that by taking responsibility for my situation, I place myself in a position of power. I look around and tell myself, “I created this; I can change it.”
Even though I might not be in a position to change my immediate situation, I can instantly change how I view the situation. This makes life much more bearable, until I can affect a more powerful and lasting change.
Terri, thanks for sharing such a thought-provoking post!
Joey
Terri
Love your post!
I especially love this: never stop mapping out your next step. We need to leverage all the skills and knowledge we obtain in each job and choose wisely to help us build our story and career. Lead the charge to action!
Fantastic and true.
Lolly
We are always building our narrative and each experience contributes to our unique story.
Whatever we tackle, it is what we are suppose to be doing and learning from.
I appreciate your support Lolly!
Terri