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we begin to lose our enthusiasm and belief in ourself. Soon we give up trying, becoming resigned to the situation and tend to do the minimum. It is a short step to being happier out of the job than in it. Repetition and too much familiarity simply kill the spirit. Teaching, local government and the Civil Service have prime examples of this, which is often reflected in high levels of stress, low standard of service and low morale. Yet the more we stay in any job, the harder it is to get out of it and the more worthless we feel. Fear gradually takes us over and reduces our value. The converse of that is the development of a sort of 'jobsworth' mentality where the job becomes everything, for its own sake, with its own territory and petty rules.

Leaving any permanent post is a difficult act because the final, and most expensive, cost to the individual is in self-esteem. Gradually we begin to think we will never get another job anywhere; no one else would want the 'little' we would bring and everyone else is so much better than we are. This is also the stage where we either become 'dictatorial and indispensable', working solely by the book and resent any newcomer with great ideas to show us up, or overtly critical and fault-finding of suggestions and colleagues in order to boost flagging egos.

We also become fretful, apathetic, demoralised and too ready to forget that if we did get this permanent job years ago when we had fewer skills, we would get an even better one now when we are more experienced. But we actually have to believe in our development and earnestly take the initiative to look elsewhere. As we tend to assume there is nowhere else to go and cling on for dear life, we work less to compensate, short-changing our employer and becoming less attractive to our bosses in the process. With time, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that we won't be able to find new work. So we stay put, hungry for something better but fully sated with bitterness, regret, resentment and remorse.

Greater Flexibility and Expertise
Due to our technological revolution, workers of the future will be moving regularly between employment and self-employment. Sensible, confident employees will not be deterred by that. Nothing activates the adrenalin better, or develops the individual more, than an insecure position. Superficially, it might not have too many overtly positive aspects, but it is guaranteed to keep us alert, to increase personal effort and input, to make us more tolerant and raise our appreciation of both situations and people. In time, the various skills we develop will not only increase personal confidence, self-worth and feeling of achievement, they will also dramatically improve our flexibility, self-reliance and competence.

In the process, we do learn that the more we put into our existence, the more meaningful and enjoyable it will be. Even more important, we also learn how to make decisions, to be patient in the face of adversity, to recognise that we have real choices, to genuinely believe in ourselves and to make the most of every opportunity, without too many regrets.

No job should last longer than five or seven years. It might be unstable for certain professions but it would make for a more interesting, unpredictable and rewarding life, as well as ensuring available expertise, unstinting contributions to, and exciting opportunities in, our chosen field.

Learn more about this author, Elaine Sihera.
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