Just Leave
I’m going to give the career advice that no one gives, and advice that I wish I had been given in the past, at least once: If you hate it so much, just leave.
It’s one thing to go to a job you don’t love, and work hard, and to do it because you need the money, or because it’s a stepping stone, or it’s the best opportunity available. I’ve done that. It’s not the best feeling in the world, but it’s honourable. You are being honest about your situation, and doing what you need to do. Hopefully, remaining mildly stoic about it.
But what I’m talking about is the person who has given up trying to change anything about their workplace or work life, and just complains. Not idle complaints, like ‘we’re overworked’, or ‘so and so isn’t a team player’, but the kind of complaints that will never get settled. Complaints that challenge the fundamental reality of the role, job, structure or company.
“The organization is fundamentally interested in the wrong things.”
“We way problems are tackled here is totally wrong, and has no redeeming qualities.”
“The clients we have make it impossible to do anything interesting.”
These aren’t problems with the company you work for, really. These are most often problems with the fit between you and the company. If the company is going broke, or losing customers, because of your argument, then you might be right. But even then, there are only two courses of action: (1) make a concerted effort to get your idea(s) for change heard, considered, and tested, or (2) just fucking leave.
Coming in and complaining every day, without pushing for change, no matter how hard you work, isn’t an option. It’s a way of trying to make the company fail. If you insist on being the person who actively undermines the company’s direction, you are working to make things stop working. If you’re trying to convince people who are focused on making things work that it’s a lost cause, you’re working to make them unhappy. It’s very easy to see this as trying to enlighten people, or to help them understand things. But deep, down, I think you’re pretty sure that’s bullshit, too.
What you’re trying to do is either get fired, or be proven right when things fail. You aren’t trying to make things better for yourself. And you aren’t trying to make things better for the company.
So, when you hate it that much? Leave. Take your time, develop a plan, but use this as a barometer when it comes to your career decisions: if you feel the only rational thing to do is shit on the company until you have a small group of dissenters who don’t want to change things, but want to prep for the ultimate I-told-you-so?
You aren’t a rebel or a maverick or a change agent. You’re a cancer.
Leave. You’ll feel a lot better, and, hopefully, you’ll get over the need to convince everyone else that you’re right, given that you no longer have skin in the game.
Just leave. It’ll be better for everyone.
@7 months ago with 4 notes#life #advice #know when to fold em #work
