When you don't like your job ...

Basinguy

Prominent Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
740
Reaction score
137
Points
258
Age
35
Location
Basingstoke
So a bit of background.

I had been working for a small-ish company for 5.5 years, close to home, salary was reasonable, work was fairly straightforward and i was well respected within the business.
I decided last year to try and push myself and go for another job with a bigger company, completely different industry, much more challenging, a lot more responsibility etc, exactly what i was looking for.

I've now been at the new company for 3 months and in short ... i don't like my new job :facepalm:

I can't quite put my finger on exactly what it is, the commute is not too bad and doesn't really faze me, the salary is great (£8k more than i was on before) flexible hours, working from home if needed, but there is something inside my head that is stopping me from wanting to work there. My OH has mentioned a few times recently that i seem unhappy but i haven't been able to pinpoint what it is, now i think its my new job.

I wouldn't want to go back to my previous company, not because i left on bad terms, in fact i am fairly sure they would jump to have me back, but because i'm sure id want to be gone again pretty soon and that's not fair on either party. i don't regret leaving my last job, i just don't think i should have taken this one.

What is a man to do? :eek:
 
Suck it up, but keep looking!


Unless you can afford to resign right now!
 
It seems the OP needs to think carefully what it is about work they find most rewarding. Funny thing work is. What's important? money? responsibility? respect of your peers? I'm on almost half what I used to earn 10 years ago and work 2.5 hours a week more; but I've never been happier with my job, I look forward to going to work everyday and that's because of the people I work with. I also don't miss the daily commute by car, I walk which not only benefits me physically but also mentally because there are people I see every morning on my to work to whom say a good morning without stopping. This brief social interaction does immense good for my mental well-being.
 
My sister was recently looking for work and had a choice between two jobs:

1. Working for a private members' club dealing with their finances as they look to expand.
2. Working for a well-established theatre company in the West End, again on the financial side.

I was really hoping she'd take the theatre position as it would be full of interesting, creative types and, as she actually wants to write for a living, she could network amongst other writers.

They offered her the post, but she told me she felt nothing for them, she had a much better feeling about the members' club and I had a bad feeling about them, I don't know why.

Guess what? She managed two weeks and left because they treated really badly. The employment agency who found her the job didn't judge and just said that they were, "a bad fit".

Maybe this applies to you, OP? You and your new job are just a bad fit, for whatever reason, and you need to find something else that makes you feel happy. We probably spend more time at work than anywhere else during our working lives, so may as well make it somewhere you enjoy being.:)
 
The older i get, the more I don’t want to work. For me now, i’m not interested in promotion, trying to show colleagues the error of their ways if there is a better way to do something, etc. I turn up, do my job, come home.

Probably all started when my daughter gave me a note last year with a general gist of, “working too much, in a mood, always got some kind of work on”

And with a move of company via TUPE recently, i found myself in a role I don’t particularly enjoy, but it is a very short commute (15 mins rather than 45mins) with technically the same pay (although i’m losing out on about £5-10k of on-call / overtime).

Calculated i’ve circa 6 years left on mortgage then 3 years of putting little ‘un through university (if she wants to go) then i’ll be looking to find a zero stress job, or reducing my working week by 1-2 days.
 
The older i get, the more I don’t want to work.

Yep, I can think of loads of better things to be doing. Four days a week is fine for me, although I'm 'fortunate' to have no responsibilities.
 
Yep, I can think of loads of better things to be doing. Four days a week is fine for me, although I'm 'fortunate' to have no responsibilities.

Exactly. So much to see and do.
 
The older i get, the more I don’t want to work
Same with me (60).
Part of it is I moved for the job and where I live now is a really nice place to live so I want to spend time there rather than work.
Before was a big city which was too noisy, too crowded and anonymous plus the traffic became horrendous.
 
I've now been at the new company for 3 months and in short ... i don't like my job :facepalm:
To quote Jane Canary from the TV series Deadwood
"Aw, is that so? That is too bad! Join the ******' club of most of us!"
 
And here I am at 65, have not worked for ten years partly due to cancer but mainly due to ageism as no one wanted to know, did not even get to an interview stage except for the Royal Mail Christmas temporary workers appeal, but was not accepted.
I miss work, Okay over my lifetime I had had loads of jobs I really hated but paid well and have had jobs where I really enjoyed the work but did not pay as well, that's life and you just get on with it.
 
I neither love nor hate mine. It has good days, bad days, great days, lazy days, no work days, half day friday days etc etc

Mind you, I'm at work the minute I roll out of bed.
 
I am ambivalent about my job, it pays well and I feel it’s a responsible job but I didn’t intend to do it for long full time. I am hoping once the money runs out in April for the contract I am doing that they think highly enough of me to “create” a part time post for me. I left the fire service 4 years ago and had a nice 2 day a week part time job to keep me ticking over.

What I really love is my voluntary work, I am a parish councillor for a small market town that has no market (working on it). I am also the treasurer/helper for a community group that provide free events through the year for the locals. I have also set up and run a community cinema. Finally I am a director of a community land trust that is working to improve some run down listed buildings in the above market Place. Hopefully come April I can concentrate more on my passions.

Nothing can replace the love I had for my job as a firefighter and I feel privileged to have had that chance. I didn’t make much money but I had plenty of time with my family while my sons were young and before they came along I had a wonderful life anyway, competing internationally for the fire service at athletics/running/karate.

Find something you love sod the money it’s not the be all and end all. Yes I have been lucky enough to build up a small portfolio of rentals due to certain circumstances and hard graft but I don’t take much out of that, the boys will probably inherit those.
 
I have no interest in work of any kind and would be ecstatic to retire tomorrow if I could be financially secure. Such a waste of a life.
 
I can't wait to retire - the earlier the better. But with the state of state pension (or lack thereof) that ain't coming anytime soon. I recently made the switch to an entirely new industry, and into a job I hope I will stay in til retirement. And thankfully it has a much better pension, which, if I can make the right amount of AVCs in, will hopefully give me a healthy yearly pension from come retirement age (which I'm hopeful might be before 60, although it probably won't be)

Like a previous poster though, I'm a bit ambivalent about it. It's a good job, one with responsibility (safety critical) and it pays well - currently I'm a part-timer on only two nights a week and I have to say I love the time off during the week to do things I want to do. But I wouldn't say I love the job itself. It's incredibly boring, and I miss the interaction with colleagues I used to have in previous jobs.

I've recently been doing a bit of work for a school friend, helping out with some cover for his business, and enjoyed it thoroughly - it's with a nice bunch of guys, none of whom I've ever met before but instantly clicked with. It's been great to work with people on a daily basis, but also work on my own for the larger part of the day - a great balance. It's the sort of job that if I was still in a previous industry I'd have jacked it in instantly and taken this one on full time. Trouble is, it doesn't really pay well enough for me to take it as a full time job, so sadly there's no chance of my jacking in my new job for it (which I probably wouldn't anyway, as I worked so hard and made so many life changes to get). But it's such a weird thing that I actually enjoy doing enough I spend nearly all my spare time during the week doing it, and then also doing my "main" job at the weekend, despite loving having the time off. So either I have too much free time, or absolutely none at all. But I suppose it's make hay while the sun shines, etc...

But something I have learned recently, that work/life balance is very important. In a previous industry I was comfortable, life was ok: I wasn't rich, but I did ok. The job suited me well enough, I had made some really good friends doing it (people I still speak to on an almost daily basis and see regularly). Then when my company TUPEd us over to a new company, my work life became hell; the new company were shockingly terrible, and I realised just how miserable it made me. It was literally making me depressed. Once out of that toxic environment, life has been so much happier and stress free. It's definitely something to think about, as it can really reflect on how many people feel and behave.
 
I defo work to live and I quite enjoy my job (tho, it's more about the team), but we lead a simple life which enables me to have a few pennies in the bank..

I'd like to work from home from time to time (70+mile a day commute) but the policy is vague, managers have said no to certain staff members but then work from home themselves! anyway haha... I plan to go part time in about 10 years time..
 
I don’t like my job. Many people would look at me and say that I have it easy, good pay, gold-plated pension, flexible working - about the only thing they might agree on is my commute or working away from home - otherwise they’d say I was lucky.

But as the OP says, there is something about the job I don’t like. It is project based so the job can change every few months, maybe a year, and now and then there is a hidden gem that I enjoy but mostly it is a real struggle to get up and go in. I’ve lost my ambition, don’t really care, pretty high up the ladder and no desire to go any higher. That makes life a little easier because I see the poor ambitious sods sweating blood to try and attract attention and get recognised - at least that is behind me.

I have just over 4 years until my planned retirement date, if voluntary redundancy becomes an option before then, I’m jumping. I’ve felt like this for some years now but have not moved because of (1) apathy, (2) golden handcuffs and (3) fear that the new place would be worse.

Fingers crossed for VR.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
if voluntary redundancy becomes an option before then, I’m jumping.
... into early retirement or would you look for something new to see you out for those few years?
 
@Nerox, I changed jobs in March/ April last year. I went from a management role, with around 20 people reporting to me, dealing with project work, personal stuff, HR etc...It was really good work. I was away an awful lot, but as I've worked away pretty much since I was 16 and my family are okay with it, it wasn't ever a problem. My new role was pretty much the polar opposite of my old one. I moved into a customer-facing role, which meant having a relationship with a couple of peope external to my employer and a couple within the organisation. Without people around me, creating problems for me to fix, I got very bored, very quickly. Working from home might seem like a godsend to some, but last year, I had days where I actually sent myself test emails, to make sure I was connected to the world!

I went on like this for a few months and then told my boss that I felt that if I shut my laptop, turned off my phone and disappeared for a month, no one would notice - the business would function fine, the customer would be none the wiser. From then on, he ensured that my mentor actually mentored me, giving me more and more work to complete and things turned around. I now really enjoy my job - don't get me wrong, there are days when I look at other things, but for the most part I'm happy.
I took on a new customer in January, and my workload exploded, I became really busy, so I'm happy...for now...

TL;DR - give your new job a chance, you may grow to love it :)
 
@NeroxWorking from home might seem like a godsend to some, but last year, I had days where I actually sent myself test emails, to make sure I was connected to the world!

Same here. I sometimes feel that I am off the grid, I feel so alone.

My current job, was meant to be for three months, now looking like it will be the rest of the year. I’ve been sold into a customer, effectively bodyshopped into their team. There is a purchase order and SAP booking codes that I have become responsible for as I am the only person the on project. I have no contact with anyone else from my own company. The account manager isn’t particularly interested in this piece of work because it the scheme of things it is loose change.

The last time I was actually in one of my employer’s offices or saw a colleague face to face was last August.

As far as my employer is concerned the only sign of my existence is that I submit a timesheet once a week and some expenses once a month. Other than that I am invisible.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
Last edited:
... into early retirement or would you look for something new to see you out for those few years?

I would be able to retire. I get a decent pension in four years at 60, going early would reduce that, but VR would include hefty redundancy to compensate.

So I would retire but I would probably look if there was something I could really enjoy, not for the money just for the interest. But if I couldn’t find anything or it didn’t work out I wouldn’t be bothered.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
Same here. I sometimes feel that I am off the grid, I feel so alone.

My current job, was meant to be for three months, now looking like it will be the rest of the year. I’ve been sold into a customer, effectively bodyshopped into their team. There is a purchase order and SAP booking codes that I have become responsible for as I am the only person the on project. I have no contact with anyone else from my own company. The account manager isn’t particularly interested in this piece of work because it the scheme of things it is loose change.

The last time I was actually in one if my employer’s offices or saw a colleague face to face was last August.

As far as my employer is concerned the only sign of my existence is that I submit a timesheet once a week and some expenses once a month. Other than that I am invisible.

Cheers,

Nigel

My situation wasn't ever as bad as yours - you do sound like you're a bit lonely (workwise I mean). I still get out and about sometimes (I'm on a customer site today), but I work from home Tue-Fri usually. My boss is very hard to pin down, I had to specifically ask that we talk once a fortnight to catch up, otherwise, like you, I would have felt invisible. I asked my boss 2 weeks ago if I can attend a conference that I think will be interesting, but he's still not got back to me (the confernce is next week). Enough of my thread derailment :laugh:
 
Wait until you retire and for one reason or another you live on your own, the internet is your connection to the outside world unless you have a bit of shopping to do.
Though I am forgetting my morning cat walk which oddly has meant I have spoken to more people in my area in the past 5 years than I have in the previous 25.
 
My situation wasn't ever as bad as yours - you do sound like you're a bit lonely (workwise I mean). I still get out and about sometimes (I'm on a customer site today), but I work from home Tue-Fri usually. My boss is very hard to pin down, I had to specifically ask that we talk once a fortnight to catch up, otherwise, like you, I would have felt invisible. I asked my boss 2 weeks ago if I can attend a conference that I think will be interesting, but he's still not got back to me (the confernce is next week). Enough of my thread derailment :laugh:

I am on customer site every day, so I do see people, but they are the customer so I’m not really part of the team. They view me as that expensive consultant that has been sent in to fill a vacancy which they can’t recruit for because they don’t pay enough. So it’s not hostile but at the same time not that friendly either.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
Wait until you retire and for one reason or another you live on your own, the internet is your connection to the outside world unless you have a bit of shopping to do.
Though I am forgetting my morning cat walk which oddly has meant I have spoken to more people in my area in the past 5 years than I have in the previous 25.

One thing I have going for me that others often find a problem is I enjoy my own company - and to a certain extent I prefer it to the company of others. Don't get me wrong, we all need contact of some sort or another, but I find I'm perfectly happy with a much lesser extent than most can withstand. So I spent a large amount of time on my own anyway; previous jobs have involved being a windscreen fitter, where I spend a large proportion of my day working alone; bus driving, while although I come into "contact" with hundreds of people a day, my working day is spent alone; and most recently train driving, which (once in the cab) is fully alone. I can spend the entire night not seeing another person/member of staff (passengers don't count as we rarely interact). That being said, I'd not want to be fully alone - so I value my friendships with people. I just don't see them as much as others might: I interact with friends online and via phone/text a lot - everyday I usually talk to at least one person on the phone, lots of WhatsApp, I see people at my swimming pool, etc - but I just don't need to spend the majority of my own (non-work) hours with people. I can't be 100% if it's true, but apparently Keanu Reeves once said "Once you know how to take care of yourself, company becomes an option and not a necessity". Which is think is bang on - I'd much rather WANT friendships than NEED them.
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom