Out of everyone you personally know or have some connection to, how many times can you recall them mentioning their unhappiness with their current job role? The chances are likely a few times considering a recent Zippia survey shows 50% of people hate the job they have. The reasons can span across a wide net from too long of a daily commute to toxic work environments due to management. Whatever the reason may be, half the workforce being unhappy with their day-to-day work is a real problem across all industries. In this blog, we are going to compare the job you currently have versus the job you want to outline the differences. Of course, each person is different. But generally speaking, from a high-level, some of these may be worth examining with your own perspective and situation. It’s easy to get caught up in the fast daily movement a job role is likely to have. So, allow this to also be a potentially eye-opening comparison list that you may have not known you needed beforehand.
The Job You Have
If you fall into the 50% statistic mentioned above, then the job and industry you are currently working in is worth evaluating to see if it’s still right for you. Here’s a few key reasons you may be stuck in an endless loop of unhappiness caused directly by your workday. Again, we encourage you to find your own perspective for your exact situation.
Low Pay
There’s a quote you may be familiar with already that says, “You work to live. Not live to work.” If you are stuck in a low paying job that also makes you unhappy, then you are practically doing neither side of that wise quote.
One of the leading causes someone is likely to leave a role is because of the pay. Very few of us work full-time for free. If you do, then congratulations you’re probably living your lifelong dream and money is an afterthought. But for the average person, it’s easy to assume that one of the main reasons an employee shows up to work is for the pay. If a person is unhappy in their role, living potentially paycheck to paycheck won’t make for a very tough decision when a good employee is considering walking away by outweighing the good with the bad.
Long Hours
There’s a lot of reasons why someone may not enjoy long workdays. The first, and possibly largest, is they are tiring (physically and mentally.) Getting home just may not feel exciting anymore after a long shift and weekend hobbies have been replaced with naps and a hearty Netflix binge. Another leading reason is the valuable time you are having to replace within your personal life, interests, and family. No matter how much you may like your job or how fairly you are paid, those long hours begin to add up over time if you are constantly being taken away from the things you’d rather be doing and people you’d rather be around. It’s likely that job burnout will become a clear result of long workdays, which will introduce the typical side effects and start to play a more prominent factor in your job performance.
Boring Days
Staring at the same screen or doing the same motions all day long can easily become exhausting for just about anyone. Having nothing to stimulate your mind can result in having each hour of your shift drip by in agony. The spark you once had as a new employee has withered away and the excitement of a new role has faded with it. Having a boring day leaves you with nothing to look forward to the next day and that (justified) attitude will show up time and time again in your work performance.
Unfulfillment
Another massive factor that can contribute to wanting a new career path is unfulfillment. This is a hurdle that many creative individuals run into time and time again. If you find yourself happiest when creating something or contributing to a bigger picture idea, then there’s very few things more grueling than monotony.
Even if you wouldn’t label yourself as the most creative person in the room, then doing tasks simply for the sake of doing them could easily point you towards a massive desire to have your work contributions have meaning.
The Job You Want
The job you want can fill you with a flame of passion instantly when thinking about it. Especially if you are currently in a career that leaves you unsatisfied. It may be a few jumps up the corporate ladder from where you currently stand or might be a complete career change. But as we continue our list of comparisons between the job you have versus the job you want, let’s shift to the positives you strive towards having in a new career.
High Pay and Benefits
The job you want may give you the financial freedom you don’t currently have. If you’ve had the same items on your Amazon wish list for years, all you may find yourself thinking about is the glorifying feeling of having them show up on your doorstep. With higher pay, then you can have the opportunity to play “catch up” on the things you want and need.
Additionally, the job you want may have added benefits such as health insurance, a retirement plan, paid time off, etc. Even if these are standard perks for many employees, it’s still far from being benefits available across all industries and roles. Especially industries such as retail with a large number of entry level positions.
Rewarding Work
Exiting a role that leaves you feeling unfulfilled and entering a role that allows you to feel accomplished is a huge achievement. Which is why the job you want can have you working on tasks that makes you truly feel valuable to the main cause. The work you do can play a pivotal role that wouldn’t reach quality without your expertise being directly involved. These feelings are rewarding for mostly anyone. But very special to someone who previously held a job role that left them constantly feeling unfulfilled.
Career Advancements
The drive to reach new heights as professional individuals results in constant high-quality work and a clear understanding that you go above and beyond no matter what is thrown at you. The job you want rewards employees like you compared to potentially going unnoticed regardless of how hard you may work currently.
And in most industries, hard work pays off. The job you want can directly see your value and rewards you with career advancements like promotions, bonuses, and raises. Your talent should never stay out of the spotlight. Having a higher up directly recognize your contributions is an enriching experience that quality work deserves.
An Exciting Workload
If you believe your current role should have “watching paint dry” as a leading duty in your job description, then having an exciting workload will give you those desires you crave so badly. The job you want has an ever-changing and exciting workload that leaves your mind stimulated and constantly developing your skills into the most polished they are able to become. Wave goodbye to those days of standing around waiting for your shift to end. The job you want will make you excited to tackle whatever comes your way day-to-day and will prepare you for bigger challenges with ease.
How to Get the Job You Want Versus the Job You Have
The job you want is likely closer to possibility than you may believe. If you find yourself stuck in a job you wish to escape from every day, then we have exciting news for you: There’s a way! Here are a few things to consider when pursuing the job you want regardless of your current situation, background, or location.
Understand You Want a Change
Before you understand what your next step should be, you first need to understand you’re ready to take one. Which may appear easy on the surface. But the unknown can be scary for anyone. You may fully be aware you’re unhappy and are experiencing job burnout. But there’s a toleration line and it’s up to you to recognize confidently when you believe you’ve crossed it.
Accept You Deserve Better
Another big personal battle you may face, which also seems easier on the surface, is dealing with acceptance. When someone works a low-paying and under appreciated role long enough, they may unfortunately be pushed into a rough mental spot where that’s the new normal. But it shouldn’t be.
You deserve happiness. You deserve success. And wanting to work hard enough to achieve your goals and make a big career switch should be enough to defeat any doubts you may have.
Get the Skills Needed to Launch Your New Career
The job you want compared to your current role may be a completely different role and industry that requires a whole new set of skills. Depending on what the desired job may be, this set of skills could be a simple continuation of what you already know how to do or you may have to start on step one with the learning process. Regardless, you still need a strong set of skills in order to make a seamless transition into the new role and stand out in the interview process.
You may be eager to jump into a new career path. But are you fully ready to? Whether you need to expand your skillset or learn from scratch, you must position yourself for the most long-term success you can achieve. Which begins with taking your knowledge and capabilities of the role to the next level. Which is exactly where devCodeCamp’s online coding and data analytics bootcamp is able to play a critical piece to getting the job you want versus being stuck in the job you have.
Starting on day one, our virtual classes are structured for you to begin learning the soft and hard skills needed to launch a career as a developer or data analysis. With the technology industry so heavily engrained in our daily lives and skyrocketing statistics for developers, it should be a career move worth considering. devCodeCamp is excited to help get you the job you want and deserve through our online bootcamp, built in-house from the ground up, constantly updated to stay the most relevant with today’s most sought-after technologies and knowledge. All in a handful of weeks compared to the traditional 4-year degree.
Finding a new career path doesn’t have to be an unattainable goal. Why wait?