Hate my job! Please tell me stories of finding a better one!

[BlueFlying]

I posted this is chat but didn't get any responses and I could do with a pep talk this morning. My job has taken a turn for the worse in the last few months and now I'm anxious mess on Monday mornings (and Sunday nights).

I said to DP last night, that I struggle to sleep as all I keep thinking about are the ways in which I will mess up in the eyes on my managers this week. Which then becomes a self fulfilling prophesy.

I got another rejection last week from a job application, there aren't many things going in my field at the moment.

I've been in the middle of a bullying situation for the past 14 months and another member of the team was pushed out recently. They gave him warning that he wasn't accomplishing enough, but he was amazing and did everything asked. It was a personality issue more than anything else. HR were less than useless and made everything worse. So I can't go to them for any help.

Tell me stories of having a crap job and finally getting a better one! I feel I'm heading for a nervous breakdown not a better job.

You may need to consider reusing your skills and applying for different roles.

Are your skills transferable? How can you take what you currently do in your field and make those skills desirable elsewhere. It doesn't always pay to pidgeonhole yourself and become too specialist.

That said, it depends if your job is a means to an end to pay the bills, or whether you view your career as your identity, as to how much you are prepared to 'invest' in such a change.

I'm applying for all sorts of roles, but I would like to stay in my sector. I worked hard to gain the experience but am struggling with leaving my current workplace.

I like what I do, I consider working part of my identity but not necessarily the industry or title and don't want to be a manager. I don't want to manager other people's work at this point.

I got 3 rejections this week which varies from too little experience to too much of it and no idea why on the 3rd. I used to get lots of interviews now I'm not even getting that.

I just feel demotivated.

Hi
I really feel for you as I am in the same position. New manager and I've gone from confident and motivated to dreading work.
I would say that for permanent jobs, this is a very quiet time. Fewer people will be interviewing during the school holidays. It does pick up in Sept as apparently people look to change jobs then (as in January apparently).
What I have done to preserve my sanity is that I have built up my savings so I can walk out if it gets terrible and I have a bit of a buffer. I have also contacted temp agencies and feel confident that I can get a temp job quickly. Not sure if that would work for your industry.
I know it is trite and easy to say but you've got to look after yourself, especially your mental health. No job is worth becoming sick over.
Good luck - you will find something else.

I quit a very dull but safe and family friendly dead end job to go contracting 4 years ago and I don't regret it for a second. We all get plenty of rejections, plenty of people that think we're crap at something, mostly these amount to personality clashes. Just keep applying and put your best foot forward, something usually works out if you do enough applications.

I hate job hunting, every time I look at my cv I feel I've done the same thing for the last 18 years...

Thank you for the support messages. I have a meeting with a recruiter on Friday.

I don't expect things to get better at my current place and I am building a buffer so I can quit if things do get really bad.

In one job I was the person that was easy picking for everyone to have a go at. I was always on a plan and felt unwelcome, If I worked weekends only (around when I could get childcare) then I was taking all the the extra pay, if I worked weekdays only (again my childcare changed) I wasn't pulling my weight. I felt like I'd made the wrong career choice and was no good at it.

I then got another job after DP pushed me to fill application, interview prep ....I kept thinking I'd never get it I wasn't good at it. I got it
That job led me to meet the people I work with now who because they'd seen me and worked with me for 3 years, wanted me for a position with them. I'm now working in my dream job, have had a promotion and my pay is higher than what the people I used to work with, all them years ago. I kept in touch with one girl from my original job and I've come to realise.....it was a snake pit.

My first job in this line of career just hadn't been a good fit.

I should add, I had plenty of rejections when I was trying to leave that first job which didn't help matters but I did get another in the end so don't loose heart!!!

Yeah bad jobs make you feel worthless whereas really, that's internalising a bad environment, and people stay as they feel worthless and job hunting is a long trudge. So worth it though, everyone should make that effort to get out of a bad job, it's soul sucking.

I think it's just a case of finding the right 'fit' and not staying in a job until you do.

Just because you are having a nightmare where you are does not mean you are useless.