Having an enjoyable, fulfilling and successful career is a huge aspect of your life, and it can have a direct impact on your overall happiness too. Feeling unhappy in your career can be extremely demotivating, so it’s important to take action as soon as you start to feel any negative feelings towards your current job role. The difference between a truly successful and happy person and someone who coasts through life without making any changes when they’re dissatisfied, is that they are more willing to make changes and take risks. Whether you’re starting a new career or you’ve been at a standstill for a while, there is so much you can do to ensure you never start to resent your work. With this in mind, here are nine actions you can take if you feel unhappy in your career.
- Talk To Your Manager
You may be feeling unhappy in your career for a number of reasons, but before you make any big decisions you need to talk to someone in a place of authority. Talking to your manager will ensure that you are well-supported in whatever decision you make. They might be able to provide you with advice or change your current set-up so that you are happier in your day to day role.
- Rethink Your Career Path
It is never too late to switch up your career path and go for something entirely different. When you were younger you may have been inadvertently thrust into a career that doesn’t necessarily fulfill you. Taking a Strong Interest Test will help you to find out what types of career suit your personality, working style and interests the most. This can be incredibly useful if you’re looking to choose a college major, a career path or even develop a business idea that will make you feel fulfilled and happy.
- Look for Other Opportunities In Your Workplace
Keeping an eye out for other roles in your current workplace will make the transition to a new job feel easier and less stressful. If you want to stay within your comfort zone and find more happiness in another role in your current workplace, this may help to improve your spirits in a small way. You may also retain all of the benefits that go hand in hand with working in your current role too,
- Volunteer In a New Industry
Getting a taste for another industry may be risky and very difficult to come by, especially when you’re already very busy working in your day to day job. Volunteering is a brilliant way to try something new in a low risk manner. Whether you’re taking time to shadow someone in a corporate setting or you’re heading to a busy site where you can gain a lot of first hand experience. Finding out exactly what you want to do in life can only be done by making a few mistakes and trying out new things along the way.
- Get a New Qualification
Getting yourself back into an educational setting will open up so many new opportunities for you and your career. Not only will it give you more skills to transfer into an exciting job role, but it will also provide you with some insight into other industries too. It may take time, money and resources to gain new qualifications, but it will be worth it in the long run if you can gain career satisfaction.
- Talk to People Who Work in Interesting Areas
Opening up new conversations with people who have interesting careers will give you a lot of insight into what is out there and what can be achieved. So many people overlook the importance of making connections and talking to people when they’re looking to make advancements in their career. Of course it is important to know a lot about yourself and your personal preferences, but you may also learn a lot from talking to other people too.
- Start Your Own Business
If you’re the type of person who thrives in a challenging setting and loves to take risks, you may be well suited to becoming a business owner. This would not only mean that you can start up a company in an industry you’re truly interested in, but it also means you have more control over your future too. Starting a business isn’t something that happens overnight, but it can bring you one step closer to finding your ideal career.
- Look Out For Freelance Work
If you’re not quite ready to throw in the towel on your current career, it may be worth seeking out freelance work that is aligned with your interests. This will allow you to dip your toe into a career that feels well-suited to your preferences and abilities, and it may create more opportunities for the future too.
- Create Healthy Boundaries
One of the reasons why you’re feeling unhappy at work, may be due to a lack of boundaries in your workplace. People may contact you at inappropriate times during the day or they may disturb you when you’re trying to concentrate on an important task. Making your boundaries clear may help you when it comes to finding more happiness in your professional life.
As you can see, there are numerous approaches which can help you to get out of a funk when you’re experiencing something negative at work. Whether you’re talking to your boss about a specific problem, or you’re taking a test to see if you’re more compatible in a different industry, there is so much you can do. Depending on your interests, current job role and future goals, you can start to make very focused and intentional changes to your career. It’s so important to feel happy and fulfilled in your career, especially when it plays such a huge role in your everyday life. Nobody wants to wake up each morning and feel downhearted about going to work everyday. Hopefully, some of the ideas mentioned above will provide you with some inspiration so that you can feel positive about the future of your career.