Stuck in a job you no longer love?

Being stuck in a job you’re not all that keen is never ideal – but if it also happens to pay a great salary and offer some generous benefits, you can end up feeling really trapped. If you’re torn between passion and pay, job satisfaction over salary, and you’re wondering what to do, here are a few things to consider to help you make a decision on which way to turn.  

What’s your motivation? 

If you’re feeling the itch to move on and make a change, first you need to identify the root cause of your dissatisfaction. What’s motivating you to want to move if your current role is paying well? If you don’t feel fulfilled, what is it that’s missing? What drives you and engages you? Do you need a bigger challenge, or a different challenge?  Is a lack of career progression opportunities trapping you even further? Is your role very specialist, narrowing down your prospects? Is it the fear of change?  Are your limiting beliefs holding you back from making a change? 

By working out what’s making you feel stuck and what makes you tick, you’ll have a clearer picture of your needs and options, so you can start developing a strategy towards a more satisfying career. Discovering your purpose and finding your way involves exploring your experiences, to discover what else might be out there.  

Current conditions 

It’s important to think about your current working conditions and assess the impact they have on your life. Salary is obviously one of the main ones but there are other things to consider too, such as additional benefits, bonuses, hours worked/overtime, commuting time/cost/convenience, hybrid or remote working and your relationships with management and colleagues.  

All of these things (and more) impact other areas of your life and wellbeing. What would be the real loss if you shifted into a lower paying role? Would the job you’d love to have come with compromises that would make life harder in other ways? List the pros and cons of your current position to help take the emotion out of it and focus on the practicalities.  

You also need to consider the current job market, and how that might impact any decisions you make. You’ll need to evaluate what job options are available and the average salary/packages that you can achieve. Exploring these possibilities will help you move towards an actionable plan rather than going round in circles hoping a miracle will happen. 

Your non-negotiables 

In both life and work, what matters most to you right now? What are your ‘must-haves’, the things you absolutely won’t compromise on? Do you require stability, or are you up for taking a risk? Can you guarantee a change will work on your non-negotiable terms, or when you step back and assess what’s most important, does the idea of making a move make you uncomfortable? Or does the thought of staying where you are make you feel like a moving on is non-negotiable? Knowing your non-negotiables, your values and what’s truly important to you is vital for making big life/career decisions. 

The unhappiness scale 

Are you stuck in a job where you dread going into work, or feel totally drained by the end of the day? Or is it more a mild annoyance or general feeling of frustration?  

Taking the time to really check in on your emotions will help you to see where you sit on the scale of unhappiness; helping understand the root cause of your dissatisfaction and demotivation. There’s a difference between being absolutely miserable where it’s impacting you outside of work, and feeling like your job is bearable, but boring. If you’re truly and desperately unhappy, a switch in career may well be a positive move. If you’re generally happy with your employer and work environment but you’re feeling bored, maybe it’s time to take on some extra responsibilities, or request some professional development or a secondment? As you evaluate your thoughts and feelings ask yourself, if you could only fix one aspect of your job what would it be?  

Fulfilment from further afield  

I’ve talked in a previous article about embracing imperfect jobs, so if you’re feeling like something’s missing, it’s worth asking yourself if you can fill the void elsewhere rather than making a drastic career change? Whilst having a job you enjoy is ideal, fulfilment doesn’t need to 100% come from your job – there’s a big world out there, full of other opportunities. Some that may fill your cup enough for you to change your perspective on your job role!  

Finding a hobby, learning a new skill, playing sports or music, socialising with like-minded people, volunteering, taking a college course and many other things outside of work can help you feel more wholly fulfilled.  

Try something you’ve never done before to discover your hidden potential. Talking to others (maybe friends and family) to gain insights into their job roles might spark an interest into something new. Others explore a side hustle to start a different future. 

Mix it up 

In some cases, you may be able to get the best of both worlds by following your dreams while also ensuring some financial stability through part-time, seasonal, contract or temporary work. I know a swimming coach who travelled the world with a team for part of the year, then picked up warehouse work when back in the UK. The coaching ticked his passion box, and while he didn’t love the warehouse work, it was easy to find when needed and kept him on top of his finances.  

Another client was able to reduce her work hours to a 9-day fortnight and then a 4-day work week which gave her the opportunity to do something she loved. She was able to gain experience and undertake learning that helped her make the career change she needed.  

One client felt he was missing something, so took on a volunteering role to explore how a certain type of role might feel. Dipping your toe in to try out new things can spark ideas and help you discover where your future path may lie.  

Share your concerns 

Struggling with negative thoughts? Talking it out can help. Open up to a friend, family member, colleague, or even a coach or therapist—they won’t have all the answers, but just saying things out loud can bring clarity. If talking isn’t for you then look to write down these thoughts and feelings so you can see them for yourself. 

If you’re feeling stuck in a job and want some advice on either how to make a change or how you can find more fulfilment in your role, drop me a line at meg@megburtoncoach.co.uk or book in for your free chemistry session here. 

Image description: A woman seated at a table, working on a laptop with a cup of coffee beside her.