"I don't like my job" - 3 reasons you’re staying in a job you don’t like.

Feb 6

“I don't like my job": The Sunday Dread.

"I don't like my job"... Sunday night comes around quickly, the dread starts to creep in, thoughts of emails you need to send, meetings you need to prepare for and managers you need to deal with pop up before you have a chance to ignore them.

How important should it be to be happy and fulfilled at work? You spend on average 35% of your total waking hours at work over 50 years of working (1). Despite all this time spent working, a 2015 YouGov survey found that 33% of British workers don’t find their jobs fulfilling - this even increases to 41% in London! (2). To some degree we accept that this is a part of the culture of working. It’s our job. You're not meant to love it… Right?

So, if you're the 33-41% who doesn't like their job, who has the Sunday night sluggish feeling, consider whether it’s down to the reasons below.

It's what you've always done

When you've spent time in a specific industry or role you become comfortable and pretty good at it (or you hope so). Comfort and competence in a career are what keeps people in their field for years if not decades. It will keep you in a role because you know what you're doing and you're doing it well, you're good at it. Of course, that’s great – it takes less brain capacity than learning something new and while you're competent at your job you don’t risk being bad at something. Yet after years in an industry, it becomes riskier to be new at something. "What if I'm bad at it", "what if I fail", "what if it's not successful".

We hold onto our skill set because it's been refined and honed for a long time. It's what brings the money in, it's what you know, it's comfortable.

We don't know what options are out there because we're blinkered by this notion that if you have a degree and experience in something then that is all you will be able to do. Maybe you've even applied to jobs but have been told that you ‘lack the experience'. You might even need to drop a role and be less senior… Is that really such a terrible thing if it’s the right move for you?

You want to be doing something you are passionate about, rather than ending the day thinking "I don't like my job".

Financial security

That credit card bill isn't clearing itself! Bills, mortgages, holidays and clothes still need to be paid.

However, this is not the reason to stay in an unfulfilling career or role.

Other jobs also pay, is that money really worth the lack of fulfilment and the overtime you're really putting in? Is it worth the Sunday dread? This is a tough question to ask yourself, but an important one.

Yes there may be a pay cut to change career, but for how long and really how much would that actually affect your life? There are many ways to keep financial security whilst changing careers. It takes prioritisation, effort and time.

Your work family

Work culture and the people you work with can keep you in a position or company for much longer than you initially hoped to be there. One more year and then I'll leave... The people you work with can make or break a job. You often speak to them as much as the people you live with, even more so when you're in an office and not working from home. These are friends you talk to daily, with whom you share your wins, your losses, and your journey. They're the people who get how annoying your manager is, who take your terrible banter, laugh at the arguments you have with your partner, and who will come with you to the pub. A very important role they play.

But how many times have you left a job and thought - will I find a team like this again - and then the next team you have are just as brilliant?

Your fantastic colleagues are not the reason to stay if you're unhappy or unfulfilled in your role. They may be brilliant, and supportive and the people you see every day. Yet this is not the reason to stay.

So as you reflect on which camp you sit in for fulfilling career as yourself. How much do I love my job? Is it the people, comfort, perks, financial security that keeps me going back, day after day?