Hate Your Job? Here's How It Often Leads to Getting Fired

"body">siphoning off your mental energy. But if all you do
Ever been fired and it was a complete surprise?is listen, leave, and silently attack him, your days
If you have, it shouldn't have been. You missedare numbered.
the cues. Whether you created it or the companyIt happens over months, not weeks. Your
decided it, you lost control of your career.attitude gradually exacerbates your situation
Frequently those two are intertwined, and if youcausing you to continue the downward spiral.
don't dissect the experience, you may recreate it.Management becomes terse with you. Casual
A Gallup poll found that 77% of Americans hateconversation ceases, and their smiles are fewer.
their jobs. To me, that's not a surprising discoveryThe new project that should have gone to you is
because most people, before they begin their jobgiven to someone else or your bonus is
hunt, don't do the examination to learn what theirwithdrawn. Your boss seems nitpicky. Maybe
perfect job is. And after a few years -- oryou've become invisible. You're stressed, and it's
sooner - disillusion and distaste set in. This,affecting your life outside of work.
combined with fear of change, creates what theyAny scenario can contribute to this: you've
wanted: to be outta that lousy place. In otheroutgrown your job, you're tired of the commute,
words, if you don't tune in, you'll tune out, andyou feel underpaid, management has changed and
then you'll be gone.philosophies of work differ, or you've become
Do you dread Monday mornings? Do youtired of the existing management style - who
frequently disappear into your office grumblingknows what the reason is, but you'd better figure
about your stupid boss? If you've lost respectit out and decide what steps you're going to take
and enthusiasm for your company, your attitudeto rectify the situation before it's decided for you.
is going downhill fast. Next you don't care aboutHow do people miss this? Not everyone does.
your performance and you start slacking,Millions of people hate their job. If it doesn't
rationalizing with "I don't care." Because you don't.compromise your performance and you hide your
You start doing the minimum just to get by.distaste from those who work there, the only
If you don't notice what's happening, over time,repercussions are to your health for lying to
your company will. So the constant refrain of "Iyourself and your fellow employees.
hate my job" - sung to anyone who will listen - isWhat keeps people from changing is usually fear
where bells should start going off. If the fun hasof change. Change is an anathema to most
stopped, it's time to act. And if you change jobs,people, "The devil you know is better than the
you need to go to a new job, not away fromdevil you don't." What if you change jobs and the
your old one. When your attitude is sour andnew one is worse? What if you're more unhappy
you're desperate to leave, you lose yourthan you are now?
objectivity and jump, and risk going from theFinding your perfect job means taking control of
frying pan into the fire.your career. That means being aware of what
Shortly after the quality of your work hasyou're creating. When you're aware, you can
dropped, you're called into your boss's office for adiscover why you feel that way and what steps
performance chat. If you've done someyou want to take to eliminate it. In addition to
introspection, you can have a heart to heart: youthat, you avoid actualizing those "next job" fears.
need more challenge or there's an aspect of yourBut if you hate your job, ignore the signs, and
job that's been giving you difficulty. Maybe you'restuff everything, all you're creating is sudden
having family or personal problems that areunemployment and a lousy next job.