Your job loves you? It loves you not? More importantly, do you love it?
I recall a conversation many years ago with my boyfriend. I asked him and myself if we were simply together out of habit? Was this comfortable for us or was our relationship truly going places? I’m glad I asked because that boyfriend is now my husband of nearly 17 years. But how do you know? Talking with another human being about a relationship is one thing and evaluating if you and your job are still suited for one another is a very different matter. Here are some questions to ask yourself…
- Am I mindlessly doing my job?
- Do I get antsy on the way to work, because I dread going to “that place?”
- Do I know I’m capable of more?
- Am I challenged (in a good way) at work?
- As I take a pause, is this even what I want to be doing with my life?
- Do I go home angry and miserable because I hate the work I’m doing?
- Am I underpaid and overworked?
- Do I have a great relationship with my boss?
- Is there a position that’s a much better fit for me? My skills? My interests?
Answer honestly and…
If you’re good then… keep up the great work, but don’t forget to periodically come back and revisit these questions. Just set a reminder for six months from now and roll through them again. You can repeat this process until the day you retire. And if you truly love your work but want to be viewed as a highly valuable contributor…read up on how to influence your professional perception.
If you’re not so good then…be empowered to do something about it! It may be as simple as having a conversation to right-size your salary. It may involve a little job-board research to identify the type of work you should be doing and then aligning your resume to achieve it. It might also include you re-reading this article to snap out of it and realize you are in the wrong place. Honestly ask yourself, “am I just too scared to take action and get out of this job I know is not a good fit for me?” If so, then you need to schedule a free 30-minute encouraging, strategy session with me. Click here to begin and I’ll talk to you soon.
Written by Brenda M. Cunningham: The one who will tell you like it is and help you get to where you want to be in your career. To learn more about our career services, visit us at www.pushcareermanagement.com