Unhappy at work? Make your move

Do you look forward to getting out of bed in the morning? Ok, we’re kidding, obviously nobody looks forward to leaving the house and hitting the traffic jam that is most morning commutes, so the real question is; are you unhappy at work? If the answer is no, then perhaps it’s time to take charge of your happiness, make your move and move onto pastures new.

When it comes to getting a job that ‘gets’ you, it doesn’t always feel easy and especially if you are already unhappy at work. You might hear things like, ‘you’re not going to find your dream job without having a degree’ or even, ‘you’re not experienced enough for that kind of technical role’’. But why not dream big? What’s stopping you from going for what you want? At hackajob, we believe that the right people should be placed in the right roles and that’s why we’re so focused on getting people their dream job.  

In terms of what’s next, it’s all about laying down the groundwork so that you can work out exactly what’s right for you in order to make your move, by finding companies have values that match yours.

Getting yourself out there
Want a new job? Get out there! Whether it’s attending a new engineering meetup, heading to a developer conference or even contributing to new open-source projects on GitHub, you need to make sure that people know who you are and that you’re not quickly forgotten.

Making connections is important, because these are the people who can introduce you to new and exciting roles. As an example, say you meet Frankie at the next hackameetup. You get on really well and she’s expressed an interest in having you interview for a position where she works. Given that you’ve already met her, it’s a reassuringly easy choice to make.

Do your research
Perhaps you’ve taken our advice and put yourself out there, but perhaps you’re a little hesitant or just want some extra prep. Remember to do your research no matter the situation as this will help you to make your move in the long run.
Whilst we don’t recommend going full-on stalker, what will help you is to map out exactly what you are looking for in a company (as well as in a particular role) and then look for employers that align with your personal goals.

Always seek out company values via their websites and find out further info such as who works there and who could be your potential new boss with sites such as LinkedIn. Search for different companies via different news outlets and see what comes up. It’s basically like solving your own little mystery and means that you are far less likely to be unhappy at work in your next role.

Be open-minded
Whilst you’ve got to do your research, we believe that it can’t hurt to be open-minded and investigate some enquiries and interview requests. The point that we’re making here is that you don’t know where things are going to lead, so occasionally it can be worth taking a peek.

Get back to recruiters and sourcers, take calls and yes, schedule some interviews. Ultimately, if you are unhappy at work, you need to fix up, look sharp and make changes so that you feel happy and comfortable.

If you struggle with keeping up with the status quo then make sure to give hackajob a try. We take care of all the hard work so that you don’t have too, and that includes your calendar. We’ll schedule all the calls and interview requests, as well as prep you beforehand, meaning that we’ll do all the hard work in order to help you make your new career move. Besides, the thing that you end up loving may be something that you never even considered.

Pay attention
Assuming you’re at the interview stage, first impressions are everything and that doesn’t just include what the potential employer thinks of you. As soon as you step foot in the door, take in your surroundings and make a mental note about everything.

Ask yourself, ‘do I see myself working here?’, ‘do I feel comfortable in this environment?’ and ‘do I like the person that could be my boss?’ Find out about the company structure, how things are ran, who your teammates are. What are the perks, the benefits and the things that are really going to get you out of bed in the morning? Make sure to request to speak to as many people as possible so that you can make an informed decision. It’s only then that you can decide whether this is the right move for you, or whether it’s not quite what you were looking for.

Get what you want
At this point you may have been offered a new position, so take your time and think about whether this move is the right one for you before diving in without a second thought. If you can answer yes to the following questions, it’s more than likely to be a shoo-in:

Are you going to be challenged?

Can you see yourself working there?

Does it feel ‘right’ in your gut?

Do you feel excited?

Are you ready to jump out of bed and start something new?

If you’ve answered ‘no’ to any of the above, we recommend taking a breather, circling back and not settling. After all, no-one deserves to be unhappy at work and well all deserve the kind of career that makes us actually want to show up.