We’ve all been there. You get that first job and it’s great. The money is good, the benefits are good, you love your co-workers, and you feel like you can take on the world. But then it happens – after a few years of working at that job, you aren’t as passionate about your work as you once were. You can no longer wait to get in the door each morning and when Monday rolls around, you find yourself dreading coming back to work on Tuesday… but what do you do? You’ve are facing a job satisfaction crisis.
It is possible that despite falling out of love with your job, you still enjoy what you do well enough to stick around. If so, consider switching things up a bit. Here are a few ideas for how to breathe new life into your current position:
1) Take on more responsibility and challenge. If you’re unhappy because you’re bored, ask for more challenging assignments or volunteer for projects outside of your comfort zone. In addition to keeping you engaged at work, taking on new challenges will also help you stand out in your field and could lead to promotions down the road.
2) Find ways to make your job more enjoyable. If you don’t like being stuck behind a desk all day, look into opportunities that allow you to move around a bit more (e.g., working from home one day per week). Also consider how much control you have over your schedule—if it seems too rigid, talk with your boss about adjusting it so that it fits better with how you like to work.
3) Consider seeking another position within your company. If you’re unhappy with your job but like where you work, it might be time to look into other positions within your organization. If there are none that interest you, consider talking with a recruiter or headhunter and see if they can connect you with opportunities elsewhere.
4) If all else fails, consider looking for a new job outside of your current organization.
1. Make a list of every aspect of your job that annoys you and ask yourself if any could be fixed by working with a different company or team. Maybe it’s colleagues or bosses, but you might even find it’s an industry-wide problem that would be harder to change.
2. If all else fails, brainstorm ways in which you could add more passion into your current role. Perhaps you need a new challenge, or maybe there are things you can learn from other people around you.
3. Now consider whether there are any areas of your life where passion is lacking – have you been putting off hobbies because they don’t fit in with your schedule?
4. Once you have decided on how to inject more passion into both work and personal life, think about how much time each will take up – and whether they will still leave room for family commitments and downtime too!
Interviews can be intimidating and stressful. Here are a few tips on how to come across as confident in an interview. First, prepare. Prepare answers to questions that typically come up during interviews such as, Tell me about yourself or Where do you see yourself in five years? Second, respond confidently with facts and stories that emphasize your skills and achievements. Third, smile and make eye contact with everyone who is interviewing you. Fourth, maintain good posture by sitting up straight and making sure your feet are flat on the floor. Lastly, remember to breathe normally so that you don’t get flustered while answering questions. Finally, remember not to lie because it will likely catch up with you later. Honest is best when looking for job satisfaction.
Here’s an article on Practicing Resilience
Here’s Korn Ferry’s 10 identifiers for when you’ve lost you passion at work.