by Ann Anderson

Created on: October 05, 2008   Last Updated: October 07, 2008

If you're in a job that you hate, you probably feel overwhelmed. When you're spending 40 plus hours a week in a miserable situation, the negative impacts will likely extend to every area of your life, and this makes applying your problem-solving abilities to the situation especially difficult. Here are some tips to get you started on navigating your way to a brighter future.

1. If you can, take a vacation. At least a couple of weeks would be ideal, but even one week or a few days away will likely help bring some clarity to your situation. Try to spend a large chunk of your vacation not thinking about work sometimes the best answers come to us when we are immersed in another activity.

2. Write down why you hate your job. Is it your boss? Your coworkers? Are you burnt out on the kind of work you do? You need to clearly identify the causes of your misery before you can start brainstorming solutions the last thing you need is to jump out of one bad situation right into another one.

3. Write down any positives that come with this job. Sure, you are paid, but beyond that you should figure out how, if at all, this position relates to your long-term career and/or personal development goals. There could be some compelling reasons to stick it out in this job, for a time.

4. Schedule an appointment with your boss. After you've identified why you can't stand your job and possibly, one or two major positives, try sitting down with your boss to discuss issues that you would like to resolve as well as areas where you would like to make more of a contribution. Keep negativity to a minimum in this conversation. This is also a good time to connect with other people in your company who could less directly influence your situation. Is there a coworker or another group that could benefit from your expertise and help you achieve your goals?

5. Develop an exit plan. If you don't have any luck with Tip #4, resolve not to languish in a miserable job. Decide how much longer you are willing to stay in your position. Please don't put this step off; it's too easy to convince yourself that your job will be around forever, but if you are not happy in your situation it shows, and you need to leave the position before your lack of enthusiasm causes your performance to dip noticeably. Once you've determined how long you're going to stay, decide and write down exactly how you will handle your job during this period. Having a written exit plan can help you remain professional and sane in the final months (or weeks, or days) with your current employer.

While you're waiting to quit, begin exploring a plan for the future. It may be another job, freelancing, or starting your own company.

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