What Are Your Options If You Really Hate Your Job?

If Monday mornings fill you with dread and your days are spent dreaming of anything but what you’re doing, you probably hate your job. Lots of us suffer mean bosses, poor wages, and excessive workloads week after week. You might not have seen a pay rise in the last three years. And the word ‘promotion’ may not even be in your boss’s vocabulary. Still, we all need a steady income. After all, we need to eat and pay the rent, right?

The trouble with hating the job you’re in is that it can affect every other part of your life. You are probably at work with people you don’t like for more hours each week than you are at home. Add a depressing commute to your day, and you may wondering what it’s all for. It can lead to stress, poor health, and problems balancing your work and your life. So what can you do about it? Here are a few options for you to consider if work really is too much:

Work From Home
If life in the office is too unpleasant, see if working from home makes your job a little more bearable. Your boss is the first person to speak to about this option. You may only be permitted a day or two at best, but it may be enough of a break in the week to help you feel a bit more positive. Working from home can sometimes be just as tricky as going out to work. You must have self-motivation and be able to focus despite all those distractions (like your bed and the TV).

Working from home will save you the horrors and expense of a commute. You will need to set up a dedicated workspace so you can do your job comfortably. It is also a good idea to shut the door on that space when you’re not working. This helps you clearly separate work life from home life. It will also help prevent other members of the family making a mess of your stuff!

Franchise Opportunity
If you’ve really had enough of your job, you may have been thinking about working for yourself. Lots of people with creative or entrepreneurial flair struggle to work for a boss. One of the quickest and easiest ways to become your own boss is to invest in a franchise. It’s a great way to dip your toe in the water of management and company ownership. You know that your personal investment rides on making this work. And it may even give you the chance to be a boss yourself.

If you’re not certain you’ve got what it takes to be a company boss, a franchise could be the best way to find out. If you look at this page, you’ll see what you can do with such an opportunity. Franchisees are often supported by the parent company’s marketing department. This can save you a fortune in start-up and other business costs. It can also give you a chance to learn as you go.

Start Your Own Business
If you think you do have what it takes to be an entrepreneur then why not see if you can bring a business idea to life? Remember, it may take you several months or even years to build up enough trade or custom to support your lifestyle financially. You have a few choices here. You could stay in your job and use your evenings and weekends to build up your business and get it off the ground. Then you can quit your job knowing your business can support you.

Alternatively, you can save up plenty of money for a few months. This will be needed to cover the rent, bills and groceries for the months you need to get your business up and running. Not all businesses make it. In fact, the success rate is quite alarmingly low. But all it takes is a great idea, a great network, and a lot of hard work to start running your own business.

Get Another Job
It could be worth considering a lateral move to another company. Sometimes you need to move to another company to be able to progress your career. This could provide you with more experience and even open the doors to new positions in the future. Of course, it’s never easy finding another job when you work full time. But if you don’t have a job, it’s even harder to convince an employer to give you one.

Carefully consider what it is you hate about your current post. If it’s just the people or the working environment or the commute, then a new company sounds ideal. But if you’re not keen on the tasks within your job, you may need to think about a change in direction. Are you ready for a new career?

New Career
It’s really difficult to make a career change if you don’t have experience. This is where your hobbies can come in quite handy. If you love photography as an amateur, why not collate a few portfolios showing off your work. Then you can approach companies or apply for photographer posts knowing you have evidence to back up your passion. Of course, qualifications are pretty important too. Even if you can demonstrate an ability, many companies want proof you’ve done the hard study and training required.

If you can afford to go back to school part-time and qualify, then you may be another step closer to a career change. Convincing your boss to let you out of work may be a bigger challenge. Night school is one option. Or you could try a residential course that can be done during your annual leave. Start developing your network through social media and trade magazines.

Getting out of a job you hate is a big gamble. But staying there and making yourself miserable or ill just isn’t worth it. If you can’t find a way to develop a better attitude about your job, then why not consider one of these options? Who knows where they could lead?