First things first, how do you know if you’re in the wrong job? It could just be that you’re having an off period – we all get them. So, before you do anything rash, ask yourself these questions:
- Do you believe in what the company does?
- Are you able to utilize your natural talents doing this job?
- Do you feel challenged in your work?
- Does your job allow you to grow or are you limited in your opportunities?
If the answer to any or all of the above is “no,” then you should have a rethink about your job. So, what do you do if you think you’re in the wrong job? Read on for our advice, to help you find your way back.
1. Evaluate your current situation
The easiest way to pinpoint the source of your unhappiness is to take a step back and evaluate your current situation. When you started the job, way back when, there must have been something about it that appealed to you.
- Write a list of why you chose this job in the first place.
- Compare this list to what you do currently – do the two marry up?
If they don’t, is it that you went into the job naive in fully understanding what it entailed? Or, has mission creep crept in (where the scope of your responsibilities has changed over time from what they were originally supposed to be, to what they are now)? If it’s the former, then consider this a lesson learned and take the opportunity to look for the right job for you.
To do this, write a list of what you do on a daily/weekly basis in your current job. Put a tick (for you like it) or a cross (you don’t like it) next to each item to determine whether you like doing that particular responsibility or not. Use this list to guide you in your hunt for your next (ideal) job.
If on the other hand it’s the latter and your list of responsibilities has changed from what it was originally meant to be to what you are doing now, you can either walk away or try and rectify the situation. Talk to your boss or your line manager before you do anything hasty about what is required of you. They may not realize that what you do is not within your remit.
2. Consider moving sideways or switching teams
Sometimes a change is as good as a holiday. So, if you like the company you’re working for, but the job you’re in is the wrong one for you, consider these options:
- Ask your boss about other opportunities within your team that you could fill. Make it abundantly clear that you like working for them and the company, but it’s your current work that you don’t like doing and explain that your talents lie in other areas.
- Speak to your HR department about opportunities in other teams. If you have an idea of where you would like to go, ask them for a list of job descriptions for those roles and ensure they match what you are looking for. There’s no point switching to a new job that is just as wrong for you as this current one.
3. Could it be the environment in which you work and not the job itself that is wrong?
If this is the case, then do your homework into different industries within which you could do your current job. So many areas overlap, such as digital marketing, sales, communications, PR, finance, HR; the list is endless. With the experience you have garnered in this job under your belt, you will have a lead over other potential candidates straight away!
Finally, you will want to mitigate against finding yourself in the wrong job in the future, so:
- Read every job advert description thoroughly to make sure that any key required skills listed, match what you have.
- Dig a little deeper and find out about the company’s core ethos and values – do they align with yours?
- Understand what the company wants from the ideal candidate, if it doesn’t sound like you, don’t apply, you could find yourself back at these crossroads again.
