10 Career Change Actions You Must Take After Accepting a Job You Hate

We’ve all been there whether it’s a layoff or forced career change.

A shiny new offer is on the table after months of unemployment, and that new job opportunity is like a dangling piece of red meat and you’re a hungry lion just looking to devour it. 

You let go of your inhibitions and goals that you set for yourself at the beginning of this journey and decide to do it for the money. 

You’re hoping that this new position will work out in the long run even though the presentation by the employer was a bit cloudy during the interview process. 

At this point, you’re just happy to have landed something and have the ability to provide for yourself and family, if you have one. It’s a much needed blessing after months of rejections. 

However, once you start the job you realize it’s the very thing you were trying to avoid this go round. But don’t jump to conclusions. The first few weeks at any job aren’t that great of an indicator of how much you will end up warming up to this position. 

Here’s 5 actions you need to take when you feel like you’ve accepted the wrong position. 

1 – Take a Deep Breath and Give it a Chance

At the one week mark you’re dreading returning to the office on Monday to perform tasks that aren’t as fulfilling as you’d like them to be. You were told many different things during the interview process but end up starting out by repeating the least attractive task of them all. Fret not because you haven’t given the job enough time. 

When the initial wave of anxiety hits, do your best job at calming yourself down. Openly express your thoughts with your loved ones and give yourself and the company time. Things may change in just a few weeks.

Personally, I’ve tried to quit jobs that I later ended up loving and dreaded jobs that I adored in the beginning. A job evolves over time with the company’s needs and a month really isn’t a long enough amount of time to determine whether it’s the right fit for you. Give it time! 

2 – Speak With Your Managers

This place probably hired you because they really saw a lot of potential during the interview process. Most managers are reasonable and will hear your complaints if you’re truly unhappy with the tasks you have had to carry out during your first few work weeks. 

Schedule a meeting with your manager and voice your concerns. They will most likely try to find a way to make you happy within reason. You still might have to slug along with the stuff you hate, but you might inherit some new responsibilities that are more your speed.

Be honest, but don’t be impossible. Compromise is something that makes all great companies successful. 

3 – Keep Your Options Open

Don’t be afraid to take calls and interviews after accepting your position. You’ve likely applied to other roles when you were being interviewed for the job that you’re now working at. Some of those places might be a better fit for you and they are worth having a conversation about. 

You don’t have to feel stuck. Know that there are always options out there and keep an open mind to those possibilities. If you landed this job, it’s likely you can land another no matter what field you’re in. 

4 – Don’t Quit Hastily 

Being broke is not fun. And while the freedom of quitting might feel like a rush to you at first, the lack of money will more then make up for the crappy feeling you had while working at the job you did not like. 

Stick it out for a bit while applying to other places that seem like a better fit. At the same time, keep an open mind about your current employer and attempt to excel at the parts of the job you hate. Your efforts might land you in a better position with them. 

5 – Keep Your Resume Updated 

Don’t let your discouragement make you give up on your goals. Your resume is basically your elevator pitch for all future employers and it needs to be fresh and up to date in order to land a new role. 

Even if you end up liking the job you hated at first, there still may come a time when you are laid off for other unexpected reasons, and at that point you don’t want to spend time backtracking and filling your resume with accomplishments you barely remember. 

6 – Talk to Your Co-workers 

Keeping an open line of communication with your co-workers will inform you better on the path the company sets its employees on. You may start out in the mail room, but the current Project Manager might have also gotten their start there. You could be on that same path. 

Your co-workers who have been at the company for a long time will know better than anyone about your chances of getting where you want to be. Don’t let the anxiety and shock overwhelm you. 

7 – Wait Until You Start Getting Paid 

Money doesn’t bring happiness, but it certainly brings comfort. Even though you hate your job, it could be a means to an end. There might be a side business you need money to invest in and trudging through your 9 to 5 might be the vehicle to raise capital for it. 

Once you’re rolling with both the job and your side hustle, doing things you hate might become more tolerable, especially if you can see a light at the end of the tunnel.

8 – Ask for Forgiveness, Not Permission 

If you see holes in the operation you were brought in to feel free to try some new things that suit you better. If your manager sees that your ideas are making the company run smoother they might be apt to give you more freedom in a role that started out quite stringent. 

Don’t wait around for your manager to tell you to do something. Get your initial work done and use the free time to expand your role in a way that fulfills you more. 

9 – Enjoy Your Free Time 

Don’t spend your free time complaining about the current role. Instead, do things that relax you so that you step into each stressful day refreshed. Work from your rest, don’t rest from your works. A relaxed mind is oftentimes more sound. 

10 – Pray and Meditate 

Whether you’re a religious person or just like to meditate, collect your thoughts and ask for your direction at this current role to change. 

We are often given opportunities for mysterious reasons and cannot see the value in them through our own understanding. Seeing the position through the eyes of God can give you a different perspective. This action might not be for everyone, but it’s certainly been helpful for me when I find myself at jobs that I absolutely loath.