The I hate my job thread

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PT Bar None

Banal Chaos
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Mar 11, 2018
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One of the things my dad always told me was to never work a job you hate, it's not worth it. Get out and find a job you don't mind doing

It's sensible advice that. 32 years, still looking...

At this stage of my career, I know it's not them, it's me. I've actually had some pretty great jobs - but I've still hated them.
 

Herne Hill Hammer

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Jun 22, 2008
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It's sensible advice that. 32 years, still looking...

At this stage of my career, I know it's not them, it's me. I've actually had some pretty great jobs - but I've still hated them.

I've been working full time since 1984. The only three jobs I've had which I used to look forward to going to work each day until I didn't any more, was my first one at Coles, as a teenager, it was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the variety of the work, I left that one to chase money in the WA mines for a couple of years before returning to them as a Nightfill Manager / Ordering Officer. I enjoyed the ordering part not so much the Nightfill Managing part. The second one was as a Linguist in the Navy before being medically discharged, very, very interesting job, shattered when I had to give it up in 2002.

I've had one pretty interesting job since, with my current mob. I built the position from the ground up, wrote all the procedures for it and had it running smooth for 2 1/2 years, then a new manager came in and want to put his stamp on it and ****ed it up completely. He turned it, into a role I hated. I still keep in contact with old colleagues there and they tell me it has been a s**t fight since with no-one staying in the role for longer than 6 months. When they initially replaced me, the person they hired didn't even turn up for their first day and then they're back up pick lasted 3 months.

In the past, pretty much as soon as I've started to dislike a role I've moved on pretty quickly. With my current role, the benefits and money make it worthwhile grinding it out. If I can last until 60, in 7 years time, I might be able to call it a day. We'll see.
 

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Apr 22, 2007
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Thanks for the well wishes mate.

Funnily enough, I've just started a new job and am now in my second week... and it sounds a little bit like yours with the complete lack of organisation. No one outside of my immediate supervisor and one person in HR even knew I was starting. So it was my 3rd day before I could log onto a computer, it was a week before I was able to sit in the one desk for more than half a day, and after 9 days of this job - and having done all the induction sh*t, reading of background etc... I still haven't been given any work to do, and I still haven't had a work-related conversation (ie. a handover, a discussion of my role or my immediate projects) that's lasted longer than 10 minutes.

I don't/I can't hate the job yet - cos I don't actually have a ******* clue what my job is. But I've really, really hated the last couple of weeks.

I've learned about myself over the last year that I am absolutely not one of those people who say that, if they won the lottery, they'd go to work the next day. I'd love it if I didn't have to work!
Had a laugh reading this

3 years later Nobby are you still there?
 
Dec 1, 2014
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Was unemployed in the wake of Covid, for the first time in my life. It took a long time to find something but I finally got there, starting something new the first week of lockdown. It sounded like a role for an organisation that did good work that I really appreciated, giving back to the community.

Three months in and I'm really doubting that communal benefit part of the job. Which in itself isn't necessarily a problem, but does remove the positive feeling of "at least I'm doing some good with my suffering".

Because I'm suffering. The overtime is extreme, particularly for the good but unspectacular pay. It feels like the place is in a constant state of chaos, however unnecessary - if there's an opportunity to panic then that seems to be the preference. I initially had planned to wait until at least lockdown ended and we were working back in the office to see if that improved things any, but am not sure how much longer I can wait before throwing in the towel - I feel my chest tighten every morning once I finish breakfast and know it's time to get started. Even when things are going okay it feels like everything could go to s**t at the drop of a hat.

I would feel bad for my colleagues to leave - the place is understaffed as it tries to do too much for the resources it has, and my issues with it has nothing to do with them. I do get the impression there is a high turnover rate, with 80% of my team having started this year, and with four people having left the place since I started (out of 30ish staff in total). I've never been in a role this short before, and hate that it will happen after my long gap in my CV. I'll also need to line something up before I throw it in because I'm still not fully recovered from the blow of long-term unemployment - but even then I dread working the four more weeks as a notice period I'd need to give. I'd consider taking a bit of time off but know from when I previously took a day's sick leave it only led to my workload accruing, with no ability for other people to cover my role.

It's a real shame.
 

sosos

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Apr 5, 2007
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Was unemployed in the wake of Covid, for the first time in my life. It took a long time to find something but I finally got there, starting something new the first week of lockdown. It sounded like a role for an organisation that did good work that I really appreciated, giving back to the community.

Three months in and I'm really doubting that communal benefit part of the job. Which in itself isn't necessarily a problem, but does remove the positive feeling of "at least I'm doing some good with my suffering".

Because I'm suffering. The overtime is extreme, particularly for the good but unspectacular pay. It feels like the place is in a constant state of chaos, however unnecessary - if there's an opportunity to panic then that seems to be the preference. I initially had planned to wait until at least lockdown ended and we were working back in the office to see if that improved things any, but am not sure how much longer I can wait before throwing in the towel - I feel my chest tighten every morning once I finish breakfast and know it's time to get started. Even when things are going okay it feels like everything could go to sh*t at the drop of a hat.

I would feel bad for my colleagues to leave - the place is understaffed as it tries to do too much for the resources it has, and my issues with it has nothing to do with them. I do get the impression there is a high turnover rate, with 80% of my team having started this year, and with four people having left the place since I started (out of 30ish staff in total). I've never been in a role this short before, and hate that it will happen after my long gap in my CV. I'll also need to line something up before I throw it in because I'm still not fully recovered from the blow of long-term unemployment - but even then I dread working the four more weeks as a notice period I'd need to give. I'd consider taking a bit of time off but know from when I previously took a day's sick leave it only led to my workload accruing, with no ability for other people to cover my role.

It's a real shame.
Sounds real tough.

But don't feel bad for the work colleagues left behind. They are capable of making their own decisions.
 

Caesar

Ex-Huckleberry
Mar 3, 2005
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Was unemployed in the wake of Covid, for the first time in my life. It took a long time to find something but I finally got there, starting something new the first week of lockdown. It sounded like a role for an organisation that did good work that I really appreciated, giving back to the community.

Three months in and I'm really doubting that communal benefit part of the job. Which in itself isn't necessarily a problem, but does remove the positive feeling of "at least I'm doing some good with my suffering".

Because I'm suffering. The overtime is extreme, particularly for the good but unspectacular pay. It feels like the place is in a constant state of chaos, however unnecessary - if there's an opportunity to panic then that seems to be the preference. I initially had planned to wait until at least lockdown ended and we were working back in the office to see if that improved things any, but am not sure how much longer I can wait before throwing in the towel - I feel my chest tighten every morning once I finish breakfast and know it's time to get started. Even when things are going okay it feels like everything could go to sh*t at the drop of a hat.

I would feel bad for my colleagues to leave - the place is understaffed as it tries to do too much for the resources it has, and my issues with it has nothing to do with them. I do get the impression there is a high turnover rate, with 80% of my team having started this year, and with four people having left the place since I started (out of 30ish staff in total). I've never been in a role this short before, and hate that it will happen after my long gap in my CV. I'll also need to line something up before I throw it in because I'm still not fully recovered from the blow of long-term unemployment - but even then I dread working the four more weeks as a notice period I'd need to give. I'd consider taking a bit of time off but know from when I previously took a day's sick leave it only led to my workload accruing, with no ability for other people to cover my role.

It's a real shame.
I'm really sorry to hear that. I've definitely been there, getting hit with the anxiety heading into work.

All I'd say is to get out there and apply for roles. You've always struck me as a pretty bloody smart and switched-on bloke, I don't know what it's like in your field but we don't get enough of them in mine. Hard for me to believe you wouldn't perform really well in interviews.
 
Dec 1, 2014
4,954
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Sydney
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Richmond
I'm really sorry to hear that. I've definitely been there, getting hit with the anxiety heading into work.

All I'd say is to get out there and apply for roles. You've always struck me as a pretty bloody smart and switched-on bloke, I don't know what it's like in your field but we don't get enough of them in mine. Hard for me to believe you wouldn't perform really well in interviews.

Well thank you for the kind words!

In a meeting with three people from other teams today I found two had recently taken some mandatory annual leave as they had accumulated too much and then had to work on their leave days anyway because the current workload is so immense. Major issues going on there at the moment.
 
Jul 19, 2008
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9 to 5 feels like being in jail

being a lottery winner must feel so good
I am at a stage where working 9-5, Mon-Fri is my dream.

I just finished an entire weekend of work that was nothing short of a disaster.

Friday 8:30am - 12:30am
Saturday 8:30am - 12:30am
Sunday 7am - 9pm
 

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This thread makes for sad reading and hope the watchers have moved on from their unsatisfying dead end jobs and onto something rewarding.

The things I’ve learnt along the journey about having good job satisfaction …

- If you work for a for-profit organisation, always understand how your organisation makes money, and what your role is in that. That role is your job, and your job security / opportunity for promotion / value to the organisation will generally be judged on your ability to do that well.

- Your other job is to make your boss’s job easy. That doesn’t mean sucking up to them or brown nosing. It just means supporting them in your role. Yeah, they might be someone who you don’t respect or like, but whilst you work there, you need to make them look good. (It’s like those home chores like cleaning the toilet or emptying the rubbish, you probably don’t love it, but it needs to be done).

- Managing ‘up’ is a thing. Know what your boss expects in terms of reporting and visibility into your role. Just because you disagree with them, it doesn’t mean your choices are to ‘fight them’ or ‘accept it’. You want things to be better, work with them constructively to make things better.

- Avoid going to your boss with problems you don’t have a possible solution to. Two possible solutions are even better. No need to bombard them with options.

- Arrange regular (1 monthly? 3 monthly?) catch-ups with your boss to just check in. Put it in both your calendars. Be practical and understand that they may need to reschedule, but don’t let them get away with cancelling. Don’t use it as a whinge session. Be constructive. Praise the things that are going well. If your job is not working out for you, explain why in terms that they can do something about. Don’t say “I hate my job”. Don’t say “I hate my job because I can’t stand my colleague Bob because he’s a lazy s**t”. Say “I’m trying to do a good job, and I hope I am. (Am I?) I’d like some support from you to ensure that our high standards are being maintained.”. Again, avoid giving your boss problems that you’re not offering solutions to.

- Take pride in your work. If you’re going to do a job, may as well do your best to do it well.

- Be a good colleague, support your colleagues, work as a team. (This is part of the “Make your boss look good” thing, their job is usually to get you and your colleagues to work effectively together, by being a good colleague you’re doing your bit)

- Always maintain good healthy social relationships with friends and family outside of work. They will be your support when you have a s**t day at work. They will be your support when you’re trying to exit out of a s**t job and transition into something more rewarding. They will provide you with positive validation and a sense of self worth outside of your ****ed up workplace.

- Have rewarding hobbies and interests outside of work that will fuel your soul and give you a sense of self worth outside of your work.

- Your career / workplace is a part of your identity, but it doesn‘t define who you are.
. I remember my Grandfather once telling the anecdote that more often than not, when he went to a colleague’s retirement party, he’d be attending their funeral within 12 months. A tactic I use myself is to always have an answer to the “What do you do?” social question that is not workplace or career related - people often use it simply as a social conversation ice breaker, so give the conversation something interesting to follow-on with. (And yeah, sometimes that question is asked expecting an answer about career / workplace but you can still fob it off with something like “Oh, I’ve had a hectic week and prefer to leave that at work”)

- Your boss doesn’t define who you are. Know thyself. Know what you like, and what you don’t like. Experiment working for different companies, especially early in your career. (I never stay in a job for more than 4 years, no matter how much I’m loving it).

- Use boundaries to your benefit. For some that means keeping work and personal life separate, for others it might mean not thinking about work outside of work. This is a difficult one to nail down, and it will vary wildly depending on your role. The key is to have a think about what boundaries you need to do your job well and for your own self care.

- Never ever bitch in the workplace. Especially about your fellow colleagues or bosses. If you’re hanging out down at the Hellfire club and see your head of finance dressed in a gimp costume; or you might know that Mary from marketing is shagging Joanna from accounts … that might be hilarious to you, that might seem salacious, but it ain’t nobody else’s business in the workplace. If you want to have a giggle over that stuff, then that’s what your friends and family outside of work are for, but always keep the details anonymous so that it never gets back.

- Whilst it’s a bad idea to bitch, it doesn’t mean that it you have to pretend your ****ed up workplace is all rainbows and lollipops. If something is broken then do your bit to fix it. And things can still be changed or improved without necessarily needing to shitcan it first. Always frame things in terms of value to the business and / or how it makes your boss’s job easier. Don‘t say “I think it would be better if swap step 2 and step 3”, say “I think we could deliver better customer service / save money if we could swap step 2 and step 3”. Some folks play the dark arts of “Make your boss think it was his / her idea”, if you’re somebody who feels like they can effectively play those games then all power to you, but suggest if you’re not then stick to being sincere.

- Communication is a valuable skill in the workplace. When you have retired and you reflect back on your career, and what was the most important skill, fair chance it will be “communication”. Work on improving your communication skills. It’s never ending, it changes all the time.

- Always maintain your standards. Don’t let others suck you down to their level. You might feel like you’re one of the few sane people in the lunatic asylum, but people watch and take notice and this can help you out in the future.

- Don’t expect others on your level or above you to keep up to those standards. Never expect your bosses to know it all. Never expect your bosses to be infallible. Never ever let them drag you down. You go to work to do the best you can do, if those above you or around you aren’t living up to your expectations, try not to make it your problem.

- If you see people around you do a good job, praise them and be sincere about it (don’t patronise them). Your miserable workplace probably doesn’t see much positivity. Take whatever opportunities you can to try and inject whatever joy you can. If you’re lucky then some of this karma will come back your way.

- Always give credit where it’s due. But understand that your boss will probably take the credit for your good work. You need to be OK with that, and one day when you’re a boss you’ll either understand why that needs to be the case, or you’ll be able to be a better boss yourself and know how to make those under your authority shine.

- If you get promoted, don’t forget where you came from and the challenges you faced. Be a good boss.

- Always understand that HR (P&C) report to and are accountable to the bosses for ensuring the staff are recruited, that they’re not unhappy, and that the company is compliant with its employment law obligations. Whenever you think about reporting somebody / something to HR, keep this in mind.

- Never ever burn bridges. The short term satisfaction may seem glorious, but long term nothing good ever comes out of it.

- Try to always have some savings put away you can access, and be able to cover any debts. Dealing with a s**t job is so much easier and less stressful when you don’t feel financially trapped.

- If you hate your job or your profession then seek help. If you feel like you’re a highly valued employee then have chat to your boss about it. Avoid being emotional about it if you can. Always express things in terms of value to the organisation, eg: “I don’t feel I have the support to do my job effectively” rather than shitcanning others “I hate Mary from accounts”. If that‘s not possible then chat to people outside of your workplace: friends, family, university careers advisors (doesn’t mean you have to be at university). The jobseeker service seems to be a bit rubbish for quite rational reasons, but there are other government programs.

- Surround yourself with mentors. If you’re young you might feel a bit awkward leaning on somebody with so much experience and expecting them to give some of their precious time to you. Keep in mind that it can be extremely rewarding for the mentor as well, they feel connected to the younger generation, they feel like they’re helping. That doesn’t mean that can just DM Elon Musk to be your mentor and expect him to give you a stack of his time. The only criteria is that they’re somebody you respect, that they’re somebody who you will listen to, and they help you get ‘better’ (whatever you want ‘better’ to be, and that it doesn’t necessarily have to be career related, and they don’t necessarily need to be older either). If you want to honour the precious time they give you, then be committed and take steps to improve. Some mentor programs in the professional services area are paid, so that could be something for you to draw upon.

- There is a difference between the employee - employer relationship; and the customer - supplier relationship. Maybe the employee - employer relationship is not for you? The customer - supplier relationship can be a harder one to establish, but many find it so much more rewarding. Nice to see others in this thread have successfully been on that journey.

- Keep your skills up-to-date. The world is changing fast. Always be learning. It doesn’t necessarily need to be career related. Dealing with the deadbeat dropkicks in your workplace can be so much easier when you take joy in your Wednesday evening Latin language classes, or interior design, or whatever. Google a skill that sounds interesting to you, contact your local TAFE, talk to a University entrance counsellor.

- Never slag off a previous employer. Always express things in neutral terms that don’t reflect badly on you. Don’t say “I‘m leaving because my boss is a psychopathic bitch who hates me”, say “I‘m leaving because there are no opportunities for career advancement”.

- Job interviews are not just about them figuring out if you’re a good fit for the company. They’re also about figuring out whether the company is a good fit for you. Make sure you ask questions that help you understand what your job satisfaction will be like in the role. But don’t be an arrogant prick about it. “What are the company values?” and “What is the management style?” can be useful questions, and worst case they can set expectations for reference to later. If you get offered a job you can say ‘no’, and do say ‘no’ if you feel like you’ll be stumbling into a job you’ll hate.

- Be healthy. Eat well. Exercise. Don’t abuse yourself with alcohol or other substances, and don‘t self medicate - that only makes your ****ed up job even more ****ed up. If you’ve had massive unhealthy weight changes in your ****ed up job, then you need to change something and fast.

Any others?
 
Last edited:
This thread makes for sad reading and hope the watchers have moved on from their unsatisfying dead end jobs and onto something rewarding.

The things I’ve learnt along the journey about having good job satisfaction …

- If you work for a for-profit organisation, always understand how your organisation makes money, and what your role is in that. That role is your job, and your job security / opportunity for promotion / value to the organisation will generally be judged on your ability to do that well.

- Your other job is to make your boss’s job easy. That doesn’t mean sucking up to them or brown nosing. It just means supporting them in your role. Yeah, they might be someone who you don’t respect or like, but whilst you work there, you need to make them look good. (It’s like those home chores like cleaning the toilet or emptying the rubbish, you probably don’t love it, but it needs to be done).

- Managing ‘up’ is a thing. Know what your boss expects in terms of reporting and visibility into your role. Just because you disagree with them, it doesn’t mean your choices are to ‘fight them’ or ‘accept it’. You want things to be better, work with them constructively to make things better.

- Avoid going to your boss with problems you don’t have a possible solution to. Two possible solutions are even better. No need to bombard them with options.

- Arrange regular (1 monthly? 3 monthly?) catch-ups with your boss to just check in. Put it in both your calendars. Be practical and understand that they may need to reschedule, but don’t let them get away with cancelling. Don’t use it as a whinge session. Be constructive. Praise the things that are going well. If your job is not working out for you, explain why in terms that they can do something about. Don’t say “I hate my job”. Don’t say “I hate my job because I can’t stand my colleague Bob because he’s a lazy sh*t”. Say “I’m trying to do a good job, and I hope I am. (Am I?) I’d like some support from you to ensure that our high standards are being maintained.”. Again, avoid giving your boss problems that you’re not offering solutions to.

- Take pride in your work. If you’re going to do a job, may as well do your best to do it well.

- Be a good colleague, support your colleagues, work as a team. (This is part of the “Make your boss look good” thing, their job is usually to get you and your colleagues to work effectively together, by being a good colleague you’re doing your bit)

- Always maintain good healthy social relationships with friends and family outside of work. They will be your support when you have a sh*t day at work. They will be your support when you’re trying to exit out of a sh*t job and transition into something more rewarding. They will provide you with positive validation and a sense of self worth outside of your f’ed up workplace.

- Have rewarding hobbies and interests outside of work that will fuel your soul and give you a sense of self worth outside of your work.

- Your career / workplace is a part of your identity, but it doesn‘t define who you are.
. I remember my Grandfather once telling the anecdote that more often than not, when he went to a colleague’s retirement party, he’d be attending their funeral within 12 months. A tactic I use myself is to always have an answer to the “What do you do?” social question that is not workplace or career related - people often use it simply as a social conversation ice breaker, so give the conversation something interesting to follow-on with. (And yeah, sometimes that question is asked expecting an answer about career / workplace but you can still fob it off with something like “Oh, I’ve had a hectic week and prefer to leave that at work”)

- Your boss doesn’t define who you are. Know thyself. Know what you like, and what you don’t like. Experiment working for different companies, especially early in your career. (I never stay in a job for more than 4 years, no matter how much I’m loving it).

- Use boundaries to your benefit. For some that means keeping work and personal life separate, for others it might mean not thinking about work outside of work. This is a difficult one to nail down, and it will vary wildly depending on your role. The key is to have a think about what boundaries you need to do your job well and for your own self care.

- Never ever b*tch in the workplace. Especially about your fellow colleagues or bosses. If you’re hanging out down at the Hellfire club and see your head of finance dressed in a gimp costume; or you might know that Mary from marketing is shagging Joanna from accounts … that might be hilarious to you, that might seem salacious, but it ain’t nobody else’s business in the workplace. If you want to have a giggle over that stuff, then that’s what your friends and family outside of work are for, but always keep the details anonymous so that it never gets back.

- Whilst it’s a bad idea to b*tch, it doesn’t mean that it you have to pretend your f’ed up workplace is all rainbows and lollipops. If something is broken then do your bit to fix it. And things can still be changed or improved without necessarily needing to shitcan it first. Always frame things in terms of value to the business and / or how it makes your boss’s job easier. Don‘t say “I think it would be better if swap step 2 and step 3”, say “I think we could deliver better customer service / save money if we could swap step 2 and step 3”. Some folks play the dark arts of “Make your boss think it was his / her idea”, if you’re somebody who feels like they can effectively play those games then all power to you, but suggest if you’re not then stick to being sincere.

- Communication is a valuable skill in the workplace. When you have retired and you reflect back on your career, and what was the most important skill, fair chance it will be “communication”. Work on improving your communication skills. It’s never ending, it changes all the time.

- Always maintain your standards. Don’t let others suck you down to their level. You might feel like you’re one of the few sane people in the lunatic asylum, but people watch and take notice and this can help you out in the future.

- Don’t expect others on your level or above you to keep up to those standards. Never expect your bosses to know it all. Never expect your bosses to be infallible. Never ever let them drag you down. You go to work to do the best you can do, if those above you or around you aren’t living up to your expectations, try not to make it your problem.

- If you see people around you do a good job, praise them and be sincere about it (don’t patronise them). Your miserable workplace probably doesn’t see much positivity. Take whatever opportunities you can to try and inject whatever joy you can. If you’re lucky then some of this karma will come back your way.

- Always give credit where it’s due. But understand that your boss will probably take the credit for your good work. You need to be OK with that, and one day when you’re a boss you’ll either understand why that needs to be the case, or you’ll be able to be a better boss yourself and know how to make those under your authority shine.

- If you get promoted, don’t forget where you came from and the challenges you faced. Be a good boss.

- Always understand that HR (P&C) report to and are accountable to the bosses for ensuring the staff are recruited, that they’re not unhappy, and that the company is compliant with its employment law obligations. Whenever you think about reporting somebody / something to HR, keep this in mind.

- Never ever burn bridges. The short term satisfaction may seem glorious, but long term nothing good ever comes out of it.

- Try to always have some savings put away you can access, and be able to cover any debts. Dealing with a sh*t job is so much easier and less stressful when you don’t feel financially trapped.

- If you hate your job or your profession then seek help. If you feel like you’re a highly valued employee then have chat to your boss about it. Avoid being emotional about it if you can. Always express things in terms of value to the organisation, eg: “I don’t feel I have the support to do my job effectively” rather than shitcanning others “I hate Mary from accounts”. If that‘s not possible then chat to people outside of your workplace: friends, family, university careers advisors (doesn’t mean you have to be at university). The jobseeker service seems to be a bit rubbish for quite rational reasons, but there are other government programs.

- Surround yourself with mentors. If you’re young you might feel a bit awkward leaning on somebody with so much experience and expecting them to give some of their precious time to you. Keep in mind that it can be extremely rewarding for the mentor as well, they feel connected to the younger generation, they feel like they’re helping. That doesn’t mean that can just DM Elon Musk to be your mentor and expect him to give you a stack of his time. The only criteria is that they’re somebody you respect, that they’re somebody who you will listen to, and they help you get ‘better’ (whatever you want ‘better’ to be, and that it doesn’t necessarily have to be career related, and they don’t necessarily need to be older either). If you want to honour the precious time they give you, then be committed and take steps to improve. Some mentor programs in the professional services area are paid, so that could be something for you to draw upon.

- There is a difference between the employee - employer relationship; and the customer - supplier relationship. Maybe the employee - employer relationship is not for you? The customer - supplier relationship can be a harder one to establish, but many find it so much more rewarding. Nice to see others in this thread have successfully been on that journey.

- Keep your skills up-to-date. The world is changing fast. Always be learning. It doesn’t necessarily need to be career related. Dealing with the deadbeat dropkicks in your workplace can be so much easier when you take joy in your Wednesday evening Latin language classes, or interior design, or whatever. Google a skill that sounds interesting to you, contact your local TAFE, talk to a University entrance counsellor.

- Never slag off a previous employer. Always express things in neutral terms that don’t reflect badly on you. Don’t say “I‘m leaving because my boss is a psychopathic b*tch who hates me”, say “I‘m leaving because there are no opportunities for career advancement”.

- Job interviews are not just about them figuring out if you’re a good fit for the company. They’re also about figuring out whether the company is a good fit for you. Make sure you ask questions that help you understand what your job satisfaction will be like in the role. But don’t be an arrogant prick about it. “What are the company values?” and “What is the management style?” can be useful questions, and worst case they can set expectations for reference to later. If you get offered a job you can say ‘no’, and do say ‘no’ if you feel like you’ll be stumbling into a job you’ll hate.

- Be healthy. Eat well. Exercise. Don’t abuse yourself with alcohol or other substances, and don‘t self medicate - that only makes your f’ed up job even more f’ed up. If you’ve had massive unhealthy weight changes in your f’ed up job, then you need to change something and fast.

Any others?

And just remember at the end of the day you are just a number on the payroll.
 
May 5, 2006
62,726
70,017
AFL Club
West Coast
In the past, pretty much as soon as I've started to dislike a role I've moved on pretty quickly. With my current role, the benefits and money make it worthwhile grinding it out. If I can last until 60, in 7 years time, I might be able to call it a day. We'll see.

I found this interesting.

I am assuming you are still doing a FIFO role, correct me if not. If you can't grind it out, what's the plan? I only ask because a friend of mine is nearing 40 and has an exit strategy to get out of FIFO and the mining sector at 45. He's a prime 'I hate my job' candidate and doesn't have a lot going on outside work. I know others who do the FIFO thing that don't hate it but are kept on by the golden handcuffs. Had a mate around recently (electrician) who did some work for me and he did it for years in 2000s and 2010s and now has a wife and kids and i happy doing domestic work and maintaining a better work life balance.

Everyone has their own outlook but I figure if I hate what I am doing in my 30s then doing that until I am 40 or 45 is just going to negatively impact the next few years with no guarantee of happiness down the track. I don't hate my job right now (a job is a job, if the company went under and I had to do something else I would get over it) but I can't fathom changing to something that makes me miserable just to save extra money for a few years. I'd much rather focus on making now as good as I can make now while keeping an eye on the future.
 

Herne Hill Hammer

Cancelled
10k Posts
Jun 22, 2008
24,580
21,272
AFL Club
Geelong
I found this interesting.

I am assuming you are still doing a FIFO role, correct me if not. If you can't grind it out, what's the plan? I only ask because a friend of mine is nearing 40 and has an exit strategy to get out of FIFO and the mining sector at 45. He's a prime 'I hate my job' candidate and doesn't have a lot going on outside work. I know others who do the FIFO thing that don't hate it but are kept on by the golden handcuffs. Had a mate around recently (electrician) who did some work for me and he did it for years in 2000s and 2010s and now has a wife and kids and i happy doing domestic work and maintaining a better work life balance.

Everyone has their own outlook but I figure if I hate what I am doing in my 30s then doing that until I am 40 or 45 is just going to negatively impact the next few years with no guarantee of happiness down the track. I don't hate my job right now (a job is a job, if the company went under and I had to do something else I would get over it) but I can't fathom changing to something that makes me miserable just to save extra money for a few years. I'd much rather focus on making now as good as I can make now while keeping an eye on the future.

I left the role I hated at Nickel and moved to Iron Ore. The Iron Ore role is pretty brain dead compared to what I was doing at Nickel and management is the worst management team I have ever worked under in 37 years of working but luckily they don't really understand what I / we do but as long as we're keeping the people we're meant to happy, they're happy and leave us alone, we're pretty autonomous.

One of the main reasons I wasn't enjoying things in my current role was a work colleague. She did job share fifo'ing out of NZ, because of this I only worked with her every 5th week and I could tolerate it. With the border closures she was stuck in Australia so went onto a full time, 2 / 1 roster which meant I was now working with her every 2nd week, 12hrs a day for 7 days straight, it just wasn't working. After being stuck in Australia for 14 months, she finally went home to NZ at the end of March this year. She never came back and officially retired in July. Things are better.

It's still not close to being the best job I've ever had but it will do until I get to 60. At worst I'll be made redundant at some stage before then (I keep dropping them hints) and probably retire.

There's a big difference in being in my position now in my 50s compared to being in your 30s. My whole mindset is different because the end is within touching distance. The reason I'll stick with fifo as long as I can now is because it gives us flexibility to live wherever we want, I just have to be able to get to an airport. We are committed to where we are for another 3 years until my youngest finishes secondary school. We have moved 19 times in the 30 years we have been together, we have lived in Victoria, WA, Qld, ACT and NSW, we'll set ourselves up in a base in a regional area (possibly in Qld in preparation for the 2032 Olympics) and tour around the country in a van. We did a 2/3s lap in 2011 before we ended up living in WA but will do it again, taking our time and just with the two of us.

Doing fifo is gravy for us. We can live well enough without me doing it but it just means I can't smash as much into our super funds if I'm not doing it.

At the absolute worst, if as your questions asks, I can't grind it out, then what? As above we can live ok, even without me working, I'd just stay home and see what I can pick up.

Anyway, I'm stuck back in Vic again until at least the middle of February, we'll see what McClown has in store for us with the borders. I'll run out of leave at the end of January and will be on LWoP until I get back.
 

MirkosMangle

Draftee
Jun 26, 2021
9
7
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
I hated my job for several years. I started an absolutely new things from 0 and now i am a freelancer. The thing i am working on now is product matching in ecommerce and what benefits it can give me as a business owner. I am definitely not coming back to the office anymore.
 
Last edited:
May 8, 2022
7,155
11,778
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Eagles NFL, 76ers, Blue Jays
This thread is for those that want to vent and feel the need to get things off their chest regarding their jobs.

I'll start with I really hate my job. My boss is an arse kissing imbecile that has told me repeatedly that I won't progress in my job or anywhere else.
Because I have done nothing but night shift for the past 5 years I'm constantly tired, stressed and I feel that on a social, emotional, mental and physical level that I have deteriorated since I first begun. With doing the same repetitive tasks, using supplements to keep me awake and then using suppressents to help me sleep and no opportunity to advance, I strongly feel it's time to move on. The entire place is run like a school, where your told what to think, rather than how to think.

I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling under appreciated and under valued and feeling like I'm in a dead end cesspit of misery and despair. So feel free to rant if you want.
Your health is #1
I can definitely relate to the stress caused from nightshift. I recently ended up in hospital due in part to anxiety, and to a greater extent increased caffeine consumption to get through the night. I've been caffeine free for a week and only just today my Resting HR has come down. Never had these symptoms prior to consistently doing nightshift.

I've put in a request to get off nightshift. My manager told me that if I can't get through the night I can say that I'm fatigued take a nap, even at the start of the shift by calling in sick but I know people who have been given written warnings for it. He told me if it continues, they recommend a sleep therapist or whatever. They don't take it seriously enough. I get good sleep and still can't make it through the night without caffeine, and I refuse to take it anymore. A good manager would have taken care of this situation the moment I told them.

We've lost over 30/120 people in the last 12 months
 

Nugett

Norm Smith Medallist
Apr 2, 2017
6,183
7,260
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Your health is #1
I can definitely relate to the stress caused from nightshift. I recently ended up in hospital due in part to anxiety, and to a greater extent increased caffeine consumption to get through the night. I've been caffeine free for a week and only just today my Resting HR has come down. Never had these symptoms prior to consistently doing nightshift.

I've put in a request to get off nightshift. My manager told me that if I can't get through the night I can say that I'm fatigued take a nap, even at the start of the shift by calling in sick but I know people who have been given written warnings for it. He told me if it continues, they recommend a sleep therapist or whatever. They don't take it seriously enough. I get good sleep and still can't make it through the night without caffeine, and I refuse to take it anymore. A good manager would have taken care of this situation the moment I told them.

We've lost over 30/120 people in the last 12 months

Best thing I did was to leave that job. While I took a significant pay cut, for my mental well being and physical health it was well worth that decision. If your bosses/managers don’t take your concerns seriously, on your free times look for something else, because your health and mental well being should be your number 1 priority.
 

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