What to do when you hate your job; because, let’s face it, things are not always rosy in the workplace. For some, there comes a time when the smiles stop and you dread going to work for whatever reason.

Reasons people can start to hate their job are many…

• You might be struggling to get along with your boss. Perhaps you feel you don’t get the support to progress or to do your job effectively.
• You feel you’re just not fitting in with the rest of the team. It might be a tight knit team and you’re struggling to feel accepted.
• You might have grown to dislike the company in general – the values of the company don’t match your own values anymore.
• You just find the work boring and unfulfilling and you need a new challenge.

Whatever your reason for starting to hate your job, life is too short to be unhappy. And being unhappy in the workplace can start to affect your life outside of work. Stress, anxiety and depression can be a result of being unhappy at work so dealing with your work life is important as soon as you feel all is not well.

Also, when you are not happy in your work and you have decided you hate your part time, you are not going to be carrying out that job to the absolute best of your ability. Finding a new part time job that you like and where you feel happy will mean you will feel more fulfilled and you your work performance will improve.

So, let’s take a look at what to do when you hate your job.

Realise that hating your job is not such a bad thing

It happens to lots of people; hating their part time job. And realising it is not such a bad thing is because at least you have acknowledged that fact and admitted to yourself that things are not going swimmingly.

So really, you could congratulate yourself. You have taken the first step of realising that something needs to change rather than just ploughing on with your role and making yourself – and perhaps those around you – miserable. That acknowledgment that you hate your job gives you permission to get proactive and work out solutions for changing your situation.

Social media doesn’t need to know how much you hate your part time job

Once you have acknowledged that you hate your job, you need to be careful about who you want to speak to about this. We’ve written an article about the perils of writing things you might later regret on Facebook or Twitter. Announcing to all and sundry that you hate your job or you hate your boss or colleagues – this is not going to do you any favours.

If your boss gets any inkling that you hate your job and you are saying bad things about them or the company online, you might very well end up getting fired. While that means you no longer have to go into work, it also means your chances have getting a good reference for future part time job applications have just gone out of the window. Your boss might also talk to other employers in your local area and warn them that you are the type of person to badmouth a company in public.

So, keep the fact that you hate your part time job to yourself – if you need to talk to someone about it, make sure it is close friends or family. People who you can trust.

What is it that makes you hate your part time job?

Before you think about upping and leaving or even looking for a new job, ask yourself what the problem is with your part time job. Is the company really so bad? Is your boss really so bad as to make him or her unapproachable? Are your colleagues really such a big problem?

Sometimes, it can be a case of ‘better the devil you know,’ rather than moving on to pastures new. Is there any way you can improve your lot at your current place of work? If you feel like your skills could be made more use of, could you ask your boss for a bit more responsibility?

Depending on the type of company you work at, could you ask for a move to a different department so that you can broaden your skills – or get away from any members of staff you are not gelling with? Maybe you’d like to see more staff development and you want to go on some training courses.

Sometimes, if you don’t ask, you don’t get. It could be that your boss is completely unaware of how to develop staff. A nudge in the right direction can mean your work life improves considerably. Ask if you can go on that upcoming training course. Ask about more flexible hours if that’s what you need – carers and working parents often need to work more flexible hours. Ask about working more hours if possible. Ask about more responsibility and a corresponding pay rise.

Start to plan your exit

So let’s assume you have exhausted all avenues. Your boss won’t budge on training or promotion. You can’t move to a different department and you feel your part time job just isn’t fulfilling enough.

Now it’s time to plan your exit. Don’t just walk out of there and leave yourself without an income or a decent reference. Keep things amicable and keep the fact that you are going to leave to yourself.

• Before you start applying for new jobs, get your CV in tip top shape so that you just need to make the odd tweak here and there to tailor it to other part time job applications. This will save you a lot of time when it comes to sitting down to prepare your application.
• Make a note of all your skills, strengths and your passions and research part time jobs around these. You are much more likely to find your role more fulfilling if you are doing something are doing something that you really enjoy. You might be bilingual or multilingual – is there a job you could do to leverage your language skills? Perhaps you are sporty and want to do jobs in the sporting industry. Or you might be sick and tired of being cooped up in an office all day. If this is the case, you could do some research about the different types of part time jobs that are outdoors.
• If you don’t want to burn all your bridges just yet by taking the plunge with a new job – after all, what if that job doesn’t work out, either – some people who work part time, hold down more than one job. If you are in a position to take on another part time role elsewhere, perhaps give that some thought. You will get the opportunity to dip your toes in the water of working elsewhere and get a feel for how other companies operate. It could be the same type of work you are doing now or something completely different. Volunteering can give you the chance to be flexible with your hours and you will develop some new skills, too.
• What about if the job you are picturing yourself in requires you to do a bit of extra training or a vocational or academic course before you can apply? Is it possible to do this at night school so that you can continue with your present job long enough to fund your studies or training? Or, better still, you could research job vacancies that might offer training as part of the role.

Find new part time jobs

So, you’ve highlighted your skills and you have a good idea of the type of work you want to be doing. Now it’s time to start applying for roles that could see you on the way to a more rewarding and fulfilling part time position.

UK Part Time jobs is a site dedicated to part time, flexible and temporary jobs. Take a look to see if there are any current part time vacancies that match your requirements. Register so that you can receive new vacancies straight away to your inbox.

Join relevant groups on Facebook or take part in Twitter chats. As well as Linked In, these can be great ways of networking and finding new work. Remember, though; don’t broadcast the fact that you hate your current part time job or that you are necessarily looking for new work. This is just about getting your name out there as someone who is keen about about a particular field of work.

Apply for those part time jobs

We’ve got lots of tips for you about how to land that dream part time job you have just applied for.

• First and foremost is to treat the application the same as you would for full time roles. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking this application doesn’t need as much effort as a full time position. Show the potential employer you are serious about the role.
• If you get through the first part of the application process and get yourself an invite for an interview, then well done to you. The trick now is not to mess things up at this stage. Be sure to read through our tips about how you can shine in part time job interviews. Also, make yourself aware of the types of things that could really blow your chances. Read our tips about what not to say in interview. These tips include not complaining about your present job or employer. There are also questions in interview that you could be asked and these are questions that you don’t need to answer. Make yourself aware of these and have some polite backup answers in place if they do come up.

Did you get the job?

You succeeded. You have been awarded your new part time job and you can start afresh. However, make sure you leave your present part time job gracefully. Much as you might want to march, clear your desk and tell everyone just what you think of them and the company, this is not the right way to go about things.

Be honest with your boss and work the notice you are supposed to work. Our article about how to hand in your notice and your rights and responsibilities will help you to make sure you don’t leave your workplace with any bad feelings. After all, you might need that employer for a reference in the future.

Starting your new job

You worked your notice in the part time job you hated and now it’s time to start afresh. You might be nervous – that’s natural – but prepare yourself well for that first day with our tips about how to survive your first day in a part time job.

Hopefully, once you have settled into your new part time role, things will start to fall into place. You will make new friends, your position will be more fulfilling and, if that’s what you are looking for, there is scope for staff development opportunities. Whatever your reasons for hating your previous part time job, it doesn’t mean yoıu need to be stuck there. Be proactive and make changes so that you can be happier in your work life.