It can be a fine line between the cliche, “I hate my job”, due to having a bad day or the “I hate my job”, due to the fact of indeed being employed at the wrong organization.
Distinguishing between ‘bad day right job’ or just the ‘wrong job’ can be difficult. Especially for young professionals trying to prove stereotypes about “our generation” are incorrect, climb the corporate ladder and master skills in a profession, all at the same time.
Navigating corporate American can be a tough terrain. Especially, without the presence of a mentor.
Personally, I wish I could shake my magic eight ball and all of my questions regarding my career be magically answered. Unfortunately, I don’t have a magic ball, but I do have six tips to distinguish between a bad day and the wrong job.
Culture
The culture of an organization can be the key difference between loving a job and waiting for the clock to strike 5 pm every day.
Having common values, beliefs, traditions and behaviors as the company you work for can directly impact your attitude toward an organization. Spending large amounts of time around co-workers, managers and supervisors that have values that don’t align with the work-culture desired by an individual can leave an employee having several bad days.
Mobility
Working inside of an organization that clearly has zero room for upward mobility or professional development can leave any professional feeling trapped inside an endless lope of mundane tasks and assignments.
Professionals find themselves happier inside of an organization that has room for advancement, plenty of opportunities to challenge themselves and compete in a professional environment among his or her peers.
Longevity
Working a dead-end job can leave anyone frustrated. Showing up to work every day not knowing if you will have a job tomorrow, is even more frustrating.
I find myself gradually disliking a job at an organization when it is made clear, up front, that the assignment is temporary.
Long Term & Short Term Goals
People show up to work essentially to earn a wage. Outside of working to pay bills, professionals look to reach both long term and short term goals while working for an employer.
I have found that while working solely to earn a living and not receiving special perks such as on the job training, the opportunity to gain new skills or learn new programs is frustrating.
Professional Development
Networking with peers outside of an organization can build relationships and increase the potential of learning new skills and tricks of the trade.
As a professional, whenever I feel stifled in my career, I desire the ability to continue my growth via professional development. I find myself appreciating and placing high value in an organization that understands the value of my professional development by investing in seminars, workshops and lunch-and-learns for its employees.
Position (Perception of Value)
Feeling appreciated is a wonderful feeling. When an employee knows that he or she brings value to an organization, he or she feels happy knowing that all his or her hard work and dedication to the organization is not being overlooked but acknowledged.
When trying to carve out a career path inside an organization, any professional can become frustrated when he or she does not feel like a valuable asset to the team. An individual can become frustrated and feel undervalued in his or her position and want to seek out an organization that places a higher value on his or her contributions.
Everyone has long, hard days at work. Often more times than none, you may find yourself wondering if it is time to dust off the resume or show up and try again tomorrow. I hope this list helps professionals determine the difference between a bad day and the wrong job.
