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Rachel Autherson

DURING THE EARLY days of a new job you will feel motivated, energised and full of hope for the future.

But sooner or later reality sets in; the boss you thought was terrific no longer seems to show any interest, new colleagues  become irritating, and you realise you cannot wait for the end of the working day.

In most cases this dissatisfaction is temporary. Like the 'blues' experienced at the end of a brilliant holiday, feeling unsettled is a natural part of coping with the ups and downs of working life.

However, some sources of job dissatisfaction lie deeper. If you wake up each morning feeling worried, or if you lack motivation, hate your co-workers and find yourself dwelling on the injustices of the work environment, it is time to take action.

The most obvious solution is to find a new job, but the grass is rarely much greener on the other side of the fence. Switching jobs without careful thought and planning can lead to the 'kissing the frog' syndrome; the act of trying new jobs but never seeming to find one that fits.

Rather than blaming your manager, the company, or the job itself, ask yourself what the true source of the problem is. Do you have a career problem or a personal problem? Are you in  the wrong field or just working for the wrong company?

The first step is to review your career goals and  evaluate your progress against them. For example, if you planned to be a creative director in a global advertising agency but are currently a marketing executive in a trading company, your dissatisfaction should not be surprising. Somehow you have become side-tracked. You need to review the milestones necessary to move from where you are now to where you want to be.

Also, consider the physical working environment, the people you work with, the company and industry, the salary and benefits, the hours and the amount of travel required. To regain your equilibrium you might only need to make small changes such as negotiating a small salary increase or learning how to say 'no' to co-workers.

Job dissatisfaction often occurs if your chosen career fails to meet your expectations. Are you being asked to do things that are not part of your job description? Is your industry or organisation undergoing change or transition? Any frustration may be due to an increased workload and unclear responsibilities.

To deal with unrealised expectations, you must take a good  look at the future and ask yourself if you can live with the reality of your career choice or with the changes that are taking place in your field. If not, it is time to go back to basics and research more suitable organisations and careers. Perhaps you are not getting what you want from the nature of the work itself. Ask whether the actual tasks provide a sense of achievement and whether you make use of your skills each day.

Career unrest may even be a direct result of success. Jobs rarely remain static, particularly as we gain additional responsibilities. You might be a talented graphic designer, but if you  take on a supervisory role, you will spend more time managing projects and the performance of others rather than using your design skills.

You must ask if the increased responsibility and recognition is sufficient pay-off for not doing what you love to do on a daily basis.

If you find that the nature of the job itself is the source of your dissatisfaction, you should consider a range of alternatives before deciding to move on. Can you reshape your current job to better reflect your interests, or work part-time so that you can use your free time to express your true talents? Perhaps you need to shift your career in a different direction and explore the possibility of a complete change.

However, do not let sudden enthusiasms, such as an impulsive desire to switch from accountancy to becoming a nutritionist, lead you to make hasty career changes.

While these 'dreams' can be a tempting distraction,  they often reflect our personal needs rather than true career desires. It is wise to reflect carefully. Do you really want to be a nutritionist or is it possible that these dreams are a signal that you need to review your own diet and nutrition? Deal with your own issues and research potential career switches  carefully before taking action.

Over time, some people begin to struggle with the purpose of what they are doing. Their work becomes meaningless and they no longer know what they want from their career. If this is you, why not re-evaluate your definition of success? Perhaps you have already met your goals and need to set new ones.

Or maybe you have stopped learning and need to look for ways to move forward.

Finally, you may find that unhappiness stems from personal issues that are spilling over into your career. Major disappointments and losses in our lives, which remain unresolved or hidden, can undermine our career focus. Poor coping skills and emotional difficulties such as anxiety and depression can also make it difficult to know ourselves, and prevent us from obtaining the career satisfaction we crave.

If you suspect that deeper personal issues are undermining you career progression, seek professional support. Meanwhile, set small job-related goals and work towards them slowly.

Changing jobs is unlikely to solve the problem;  you will more likely carry the same issues with you from job to job until you find the solution.

Career survival Tip #11

When you experience career roadblocks try to understand and address the underlying reasons for your frustration. Knee-jerk reactions and job changes rarely lead to long-term satisfaction.



Is it time for a move? Think carefully