another job question

[LoveTrains]

So if you have a job that is really starting to drag you down - like every day its a chore to go there - how do you handle it?

If you are looking for new options and have explored a few opportunities, but nothing seems like a great fit, do you keep looking even if you get an offer? Do you take a job that might not be ideal b/c you hate your current one, or do you suck it up and wait for a better opportunity that is truly more in line with what you want to do comes along? 

[Poppy]

It's hard to generalize these things since so much depends on what the external options are and what the problems at the current job are.

First of all, hopefully you can make changes that help make your job more manageable. Sometimes all that you can control is your attitude and to some extent how much you are there, but it's worth brainstorming to see if there are other things within your control.

Ideally, you can wait until you find the right opportunity, but sometimes you just need to get out. This is less of a big deal if you have a solid work history (more challenging if you've switched jobs a lot or had recent periods of unemployment) because you have built up some credibility that allows you to keep looking more easily even if you leave.


The only time I have been really miserable, I stuck with the job for another year and it got better (although not good enough to make me want to stay), and ultimately I found a better job. I'm happy with how it worked out.

[LoveTrains]

Boss issues. If I had a different boss I would stay at my current role. The company is fabulous and is well known in my area for being excellent. My issue in finding opportunities is that because of the level I am at (a mid career point) they are not always open. There are tons of junior openings in my field but sometimes patience is required for a position that is more in line with where I should fit in.

[v]

Xanax.

And I'd probably keep looking until I find something that is a good match. Maybe I wouldn't wait for a perfect match, but I'd wait for a job that I think could make me at least reasonably happy.

[LoveTrains]

I am worried that the job I interviewed for yesterday is too junior for me and won't be a forward movement with my career. I already have other interviews lined up for other positions but the commute is longer.

[crashgizmo]

I had that issue a few years ago- horrible boss, like the job otherwise, and was having the hardest time finding something that was the right "timing" for my career. I probably spent a solid year interviewing. I turned one job down because it was too much of a step back. In the meantime, I tried to avoid my boss as much as possible- scheduling tons of meetings out of the office, even if it meant having to do catch up work at home at night. My boss couldn't complain because I was supposed to be meeting people and pitching the program, but she didn't like it.

After a year (2.5 total at the job, but the last year was when I was hardcore looking) I found an amazing job, that was a huge step up for me. Being patient sucked, but I'm so glad I waited for that job.

[noodleoo]

I was in a very similar situation. I had been with a company 10 years, loved it, but they hired a new CTO and he did not like me. We did not get along and it ruined the company for me. A lot of other stuff was going down too, but I started looking, got a job offer pretty quickly and took it. It ended up being a bad fit, and in some ways a mistake, some ways not. It was good in that it got me out of the place where I was very comfortable and it renewed my self confidence in my abilities. But, I hated it and end up quitting after 6 months with nothing else lined up. Took me almost a year to land on my feet, but I ended up switching industries which was the right move for me in the end.

The point of my rambling is this: it depends how awful your current job is and what your financial situation is like. Changing jobs is always a risk and I wish I had held out for a job that was a better fit instead of just taking the first offer I got. But it really depends on whether your job is unbearable or just not ideal.

[LoveTrains]

Thanks noodleoo. I definitely remember your story.

I think I can deal with this for longer, at least for the time being, although I was starting to doubt that this summer. But I think I have it in a manage-able state for at least the next six months are so. I really just don't want to sabotage my long term career prospects by jumping ship for something that is fine but not amazing. That is what I am nervous about.

[ESF]

I am sorry you are dealing with this.

I think taking a job that's a bad fit to get out of a bad situation is usually not a great strategy. I did it once, and I will say that it's very hard to right the ship once you've veered off in the wrong direction.

If its affecting your mental health though, you need to prioritize that. In which case, I'd consider taking any job where I can write a resume entry that sends the message I want to convey. A too junior position may be a workable sell if the title is equal to what you currently have, and you think there's a little bit of decent work that you can hang your hat on. In some cases, a lower title might be sellable if the organization is much bigger and more prestigious. On the other hand, a lower title and really no responsibilities that are at your current level is definitely not what you want.

You can take the new job, push the start date out as far as possible, keep looking, and if things pop up after you've only been there a brief while, I think most people will understand if you show up at an interview and say, "I know I just started at X two months ago, but after beginning, I learned the job was different than what I had been led to believe during the interview process" or "I know I just started, but working for your organization has been a goal of mine", particularly because, IIRC, you've been at your place of work for a while and don't have a resume that screams "job hopper."

[LoveTrains]

Thank you ESF. I have 11 years in my field with over 5 years at my present job, 5 years at my first company, and then a blip of 1 year in the middle that is easily explained as it wasn't quite the right fit and was in a slightly different industry.

I actually have another interview on Monday at a much more prestigious place (but with a LONG commute) and a bunch more irons in the fire.

The too junior position I interviewed for has a lesser title than I have now. Which isn't great because my industry is known for inflated titles....and while the organization is bigger I don't think its more prestigious.

Of course this is all hypothetical because I don't have any offers in hand. Only the one I got over the summer for a $20K paycut which I promptly turned down.

[LoveTrains]

Oct 22, 2014 15:12:20 GMT -5 crashgizmo said:

I had that issue a few years ago- horrible boss, like the job otherwise, and was having the hardest time finding something that was the right "timing" for my career. I probably spent a solid year interviewing. I turned one job down because it was too much of a step back. In the meantime, I tried to avoid my boss as much as possible- scheduling tons of meetings out of the office, even if it meant having to do catch up work at home at night. My boss couldn't complain because I was supposed to be meeting people and pitching the program, but she didn't like it.

After a year (2.5 total at the job, but the last year was when I was hardcore looking) I found an amazing job, that was a huge step up for me. Being patient sucked, but I'm so glad I waited for that job.

I want to go work at that bonus place!!!!  

[jerseyjaybird]

Oct 22, 2014 14:40:38 GMT -5 v said:

Xanax.

And I'd probably keep looking until I find something that is a good match. Maybe I wouldn't wait for a perfect match, but I'd wait for a job that I think could make me at least reasonably happy.

All of this.

And I GBCN more. Like right now.

[cosmos]

I technically took a more junior job when I changed careers - but it pays more and has so much room for advancement. I also regularly go way above and beyond my actual title, and I think the job revolved to be senior than intended. So I wouldn't rule out a junior job until I vetted it entirely, see if there are opportunities for growth, etc.

[Deleted]

My situation is different, because I got laid off, but I'll share my thoughts anyway My old job went through periods of being ok/great but I'd say the majority of the time I worked there, I struggled with the desire to move forward and do more and feeling stuck. When I got laid off, I thought it might be a good opportunity to move forward and get out of that rut. Like you, I think I'm at a weird point in my career - I'm not sure I'd call it "mid career" but I'm not entry level, but not management either. There are tons of jobs in my field out there, but most are either too many steps forward or a couple of steps back. I've had a really hard time finding something that is "right".

I took a temp job that is a step back, and I hate it. It's just a terrible fit, the people are nice and the job is objectively fine, but it's dull and slow and it has actually made me feel a lot WORSE about myself and my job situation than my old, stuck in a rut job felt. I guess the nice thing about my current situation is that there is still SOME hope things will change, but it's diminishing every day I have to drag myself to the office to sit at my desk all day doing things I'm not excited about (or, posting on GBCN because I literally have nothing else to do).

So the point of my long story is - I think taking a job that's not a good fit can be a really negative thing. If your current job was intolerable - i.e. you were going home crying every night, your boss was abusive, etc - I'd say "get out just to get out!". But if you think you can hang in there, I'd wait for the right thing to come along. Being part of a new organization sucks, you don't have your friends there, you don't know how things work, you don't know who to contact, you don't know what needs doing when you've got some down time. I wouldn't choose to do that unless you think the job is really going to be better, KWIM?

I wasn't so excited to go to work a few months ago, but now I really wish I could go back to my old job

[jerseyjaybird]

Oct 22, 2014 16:29:38 GMT -5 cosmos said:

I technically took a more junior job when I changed careers - but it pays more and has so much room for advancement. I also regularly go way above and beyond my actual title, and I think the job revolved to be senior than intended. So I wouldn't rule out a junior job until I vetted it entirely, see if there are opportunities for growth, etc.

I've also had the opposite experience, which might actually be more common in the non-profit world: potential employers in my field promise the moon but generally can't deliver. I find it hard to balance looking at potential vs. the actual reality of the job that's available right this minute. (That's the biggest question I have regarding the job for which I just interviewed.) That could be field-specific, though . . . if jobs liked mine generated revenue instead of depleting it, the situation might be different!

BTW, I'm so happy for you cosmos!

[Deleted]

I've sought out things outside of work that bring me a sense of fulfillment. I've also adopted an IDGAF attitude about my job. I do my job and put in the time and effort to serve my clients well, but I know it's a dead end. Unfortunately, work is still a huge time suck and oftentimes I'm so exhausted that putting together applications doesn't happen as frequently as it should.

[sweetnsour]

If you like the company, can you find other opportunities within or is it all the same boss? I would wait till I had a good job before I left because of a boss.

[LoveTrains]

Oct 22, 2014 16:29:38 GMT -5 cosmos said:

I technically took a more junior job when I changed careers - but it pays more and has so much room for advancement. I also regularly go way above and beyond my actual title, and I think the job revolved to be senior than intended. So I wouldn't rule out a junior job until I vetted it entirely, see if there are opportunities for growth, etc.

Well I have had over 8 hours of interviews with junior job and I don't think it offers the opportunities for growth that I initially thought it might.

[LoveTrains]

Oct 22, 2014 18:04:01 GMT -5 sweetnsour said:

If you like the company, can you find other opportunities within or is it all the same boss? I would wait till I had a good job before I left because of a boss.

No. Only new opportunity would be if my boss left and I took her job.

[LoveTrains]

I probably only cry once every other week so it could be worse!