It seems like job satisfaction is in short supply these days. With more than half of U.S. workers dissatisfied with their current occupations, it’s easy to see why so many of us are hungry for change on the professional front. While the job satisfaction you seek may seem like a far-off fantasy, there’s a good chance it’s actually much closer than you think. When you commit yourself to improving an undesirable situation, you may be surprised by just how much you’re truly capable of.
Know When to Say “No”
Many of us are so terrified of losing our jobs that we simply roll with any unreasonable demands our bosses throw our way and avoid speaking up for ourselves under any circumstances. While there’s nothing wrong with being dependable at work, there are limits to what your employer should reasonably demand from you. For example, if you’re regularly tasked with completing enormous workloads within ridiculously short time-frames, things are unlikely to get better unless you actively speak out against exploitative expectations. If you’ve never said no to a request or asked for a deadline to be amended, there’s a good chance your bosses don’t even know that you’re being overworked. After all, if you haven’t said anything, how are they supposed to know there’s a problem?
Being able to say no isn’t just a skill that will serve you well when dealing with bosses – it can also come in handy with coworkers. It seems like every workplace has a number of employees who aim to do as little work as possible and rely on coworkers to pick up their slack. Needless to say, this can prove particularly frustrating for people who already have their hands full with their own workloads. So, if any of your coworkers habitually foist their responsibilities onto you, let them know that their work is not your work.
Don’t Subscribe to Indefinite Workdays
For many members of the workforce, the workday never truly comes to an end. Yes, these individuals are able to leave the office, but their return home simply marks the beginning of another phase of the workday. Instead of relaxing and recharging their batteries, workers often use their downtime to make progress on projects, catch up on emails and engage in other job-related tasks.
Although your employer may be owed a certain number of hours per week, this should not extend to your personal time. Working during your off-hours constitutes unpaid overtime, regardless of whether or not your bosses explicitly ordered you to put in extra hours. In order to maintain a healthy work/life balance, you’ll need to place limits on how much time you devote to work. This entails beginning the workday at a certain time and ending it at a certain time. Furthermore, your departure from the office should mark the definitive end of the workday.
While it’s certainly conceivable that you’ll occasionally be asked to put in overtime, you should never agree to this unless additional compensation is involved. For example, if you’re paid for 40 hours a week, your employer isn’t entitled to treat any extra hours you put in as freebies.
Continue Your Education
If you’re interested in boosting your earning power or expanding your career prospects in general, continuing your education is a great place to start. Earning an advanced degree in your chosen field – or an entirely new one – can make you extremely attractive to a host of prospective employers. An MS in marketing, for example, has the power to open a plethora of professional doors and help you escape from a job that offers little to no fulfillment. Additionally, if your current schedule is too packed to allow for traditional in-person classes, start exploring the convenient online learning options offered by a growing number of schools.
There’s little wonder as to why so many members of the workforce hate their jobs. The commutes are cumbersome, the hours are long, the pay is insufficient and appreciation from the top is sorely lacking. While this doesn’t necessarily apply to every job, a sizable majority of them fit at least one or two of those characteristics. So, if you feel that you’ve fallen into a professional rut and have a burning desire to get more out of your job, don’t hesitate to put the previously discussed pointers into practice.
