Hate your job? Why quit when you can fix it?

Everybody gets the blues sometimes, and that’s as true at one’s job as it is outside the office. When the ennui sets in, it gets harder to retain the spring in your step as you head out to work each morning. The stress begins to show. You start coming up with reasons why your job is not right for you. But at a time when employees are being handed pink slips, it has become harder to assume that the “right job” is waiting for you just around the corner. So don’t rush to type up that resignation—give your job one more chance. Here are some tips on changing your job from “boring” to “interesting”.

Be the vehicle of change

This really is the first step to any change. List the problems you’re having, and the possible solutions to them. Think about them, and you’ll find there are many small and big changes that could improve your situation. List those changes and start working to implement them—that effort will have to come from you.

Change your perspective

It’s all in the mind, say psychologists. Recall the reasons why, during your first few months on the job, you thought it was a great one. Unless your work situation has changed drastically, some of those reasons probably still hold true. For instance, Ritu, an operator in a call centre back office, hated the extended working hours at her workplace, yet spent a good five years at it simply because her colleagues were like an extended family.

Bring about real changes

Go back to that list of the positive changes you can make. Now is the time to bring them about. Often, the reason an employee wants to quit her job is that she feels she hasn’t got what she deserves from her seniors. If you think you’ve been denied the promotion you deserve, for instance, consider talking it out with your seniors. But before marching into your boss’s office waving your list of demands, review your own work critically—from the boss’s point of view. Of course, keep in mind that talking it out is best done only when you are on a strong footing.

Reinvent your work

A good way to bring freshness to the same old job is to find new ways to do it better than before. It is this innovative outlook that has resulted in newer and improved versions of products and services in the market. Besides, at a personal level, being creatively involved will keep away the negative thoughts.

Advertise subtly

A good number of people have quit their well-paying jobs simply because they feel their hard work is appreciated. Often, this gives some people reason to blame their boss. But there’s always the possibility that the oversight was not deliberate. Too often, employees keep rather low profiles, and thus remain unnoticed. If you’re feeling overlooked, consider that it may be time to get out of the shadows. There’s no call to brag about yourself ; you can handle the situation in a subtle manner. When the opportunitysay , a regular feedback session—presents itself, take it to ensure that your boss is well aware of the efforts you’ve been putting in.

Tackle difficult colleagues

Often, the real reason people lose interest in their job is not the work itself, but the people at work. If there isn’t a single person in your office with whom you can get along professionally, it’s possible that the problem is yours, and not theirs. In today’s corporate scenario, the inability to work in a team is considered a weakness.

But assuming the problem is not with you, and a problem colleague really is proving detrimental to your work, consider asking your supervisor to move you to another department, where you can meet new people, although you would also have to be ready to possibly do somewhat different work. Looking for a change within your existing corporate environment maybe easier, if minor irritations are the issue.

Giving in to the impulse to quit may seem the easy way out, but life may actually be easier if the problem can be reduced or fixed without giving up the job. Quitting is for smokers!

Source : ET