The number of people who hate their job seems to be on the increase. Whether it is the unsatisfactory nature of the job, a belligerent, unreasonable boss or co-workers whose behavior you can’t even begin to fathom, job dissatisfaction appears to be at an all-time high. From a personal point of view, I always hated managers and loathed working the night shifts I was stuck with for several years. There was something about cleaning toilets at 3am and being forced to deal with drunks that was somehow unappealing. Throw in incompetent bosses and you have the job from hell.

College?
In this instance, solution one was to continue muttering under my breath and ‘getting on with it’. This would surely have led to further dissatisfaction with the potential for a lifetime of misery staring me squarely in the face. However, I stubbornly refused to allow myself to be subjected to the horror of night work for much longer, saved and went back to college. This is a viable solution for those in an unfulfilling job they hate, have savings and are still relatively young. It also helps if you have no dependents or financial obligations.

Giving Thanks
This is not the case for everyone. In some cases, the horrible job is the only thing keeping you afloat. Try being grateful for having a job at all and imagine the consequences of having no regular income. This is not a long-term solution but it will at least help you keep your emotions in check and prevent you from doing something silly.

Making A Plan
The next step is to uncover what it is that depresses you about the job the most. This will enable you to come up with a plan. For example, if you have a hateful boss, perhaps there is the possibility of being moved. The same goes for having irritating co-workers. If the job is dull and repetitive, maybe your company has an alternative project for you to work on.

Leave
Yet there are occasions when a transfer or new project simply won’t do. You have to get out and you need to do so now. In this case, start making plans to leave. Although money should never be a motivating factor, try and line up another job. Unless you believe in reincarnation, we only have only life, one shot to make it count. Do not allow yourself to waste your life or even 10-20 years of it working in a job you hate.

If you decide to leave your job, do so with a modicum of class and grace, regardless of how much you hate the place, the job or the people involved. Remember, life can be peculiar (not to mention cruel) and a return may occur at some point (as much as you wish it wasn’t the case). Therefore, leave amicably and never broadcast your ill-will towards those at your soon to be ex-workplace. Have another job lined up which will hopefully be more fulfilling and rewarding than your previous work hell. However, there is always the chance that you simply hate the profession. If that is the case, you may well want to consider switching careers altogether.