What to Do When You're Unhappy with Your Career

As national unemployment rates rise to new heights it seems silly, nay - ungrateful, to complain about the stress and mire of another day at the office. With mass layoffs plaguing much of the United States and other nations, it would seem that those still left with a job should be happily skipping through the empty teller lanes at the bank to deposit their weekly paycheck.

So while the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced on September 23rd that the unemployment rate reached 9.7% in August (www.bls.gov), why are so many of the people still earning a steady salary unhappy? The answer is simple: Those who spent the last decade moving up the career ladder are now being saddled with more responsibility and wider-reaching accountability than they can handle on their own. And unfortunately, they have to manage the workload without the employees that helped to get them there.

In short, the recession is causing mass burnout as workers try to save their careers and the employment of as many of their assistants, co-workers and employees as possible.

So what if amidst the doom and gloom of our current employment climate you realize that the job in management you'd always dreamed about is more stress than you could have ever imagined? Or the marketing career that you just landed sounded much better in the interview than it does now that you find all of your clients have no marketing budget? Or perhaps you've discovered that your job in human resources has become more a tidal wave of lay off paperwork than mediation and benefits management?

Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to lesson the stress and misery that you may be enduring.

Re-Evaluate What is Important To You

All those years ago when you were working on getting your degree, you may have aspired to have a high paying career with a corner office. You probably imagined looking out over a sea of employees all willing and able to do your bidding. Well, now that you've reached your goals you realize that you haven't used your degree in a decade, and having a mass of employees is exhausting.

Now is the time to re-think what it is that you want from your job. Do you want an exciting, fun and engaging working environment? Do you want to spend more time outside than the few minutes it takes you now to get from your car to the front door of the office? Do you want to help people on a more personal level? Make a list of the things that you "wish" your job provided for you, mark the things that are truly important to your happiness and begin integrating those things into your daily routine any way you can.

Take a Look at Your Personal Budget

Unfortunately, the more money we make the more money we tend to spend. If you are unhappy with the direction that your career is headed, it may be necessary for you to make some professional changes which may affect you financially. Maybe you will decide that you want to go back to school, or you will find an entry level position that is more in line with what is important to you personally.

When taking steps to change the way you view your work it is important to make sure that either you can afford to make change happen, or that you begin focusing on paying down debt so that you have enough cushion to make change possible.

Find a Way to Separate Your Work Life from Your 'Life' Life

A common problem when we are unhappy with our careers is that we tend to haul our work problems home with us. Suddenly being at home is just as stressful as being at work, and the unhappiness begins to seep into our personal relationships.

Find an activity that helps you to change your focus between the time you clock out for the day and the time you pull into the driveway. Pull off at a park half way into your commute and take a 15 minute walk to clear your head. Write down all of the worries and things you need to remember for tomorrow and leave yourself a note on your dashboard so that you don't have to think about them while you're at home. Check out a book on meditation and learn to mentally close the door on work and open the door to home. Finding a way to mentally transition from work to home will help you to feel better about your position in life overall, even if you are unhappy with work.

Brush Up Your Resume

If you come to the conclusion that the career you have is not fulfilling your personal needs, take the time to brush up your resume. Although the recession and resulting collapse of the employment market does not lend itself well to job-hunting, you never know when the next big opportunity will show up. It may just fall into your lap when you least expect it, so make sure that you are prepared for it when it does.

Invest In Your Own Happiness

If your company has reassigned your best assistant to cover other job functions, dropped any hope of bonuses and company perks have been put on hold, find a way to reward yourself for a job well done. Spruce up your workspace with personal photos and a bouquet of flowers or treat yourself to new stationary and a new pen set.

Although it is always nice to be appreciated by the company, it is not always possible. But there is no rule against taking some time to appreciate yourself! Take a look at the things that you have accomplished, the projects you have completed and give yourself a round of applause. Sometimes an internal pep-talk is all we need to make it through the day.

In the end, the happiness and contentment that you find in your career will be determined solely on your personal values and your ability to adjust to meet the evolving needs of your industry. It is important to remember that it is OK if you find you've outgrown your career (or that it's outgrown you), and it is never too late to find something that you truly love to do professionally. All it takes is some positive thinking, some ingenuity and a bit of tenacity to get there.

Want to read more like this by Denise Kawaii? Click the links below.

Writing a Winning Resume

Three Networking Tips for Small Businesses

The Positive Recession