Finally Got Hired and Your Job Sucks?

All your research… building and utilizing your network… and your patience… all paid off. You landed a new gig!
You’ve been in your new job or internship for a couple weeks, maybe a month, and have settled in. And you’ve come to a stomach-cramping conclusion:
This job sucks!
It happens to everyone at some point in their career. You find a position that looks great on paper… has an exciting title… the description was full of responsibilities that looked engaging and fun. But in real life the job is everything but what you expected.
So, now what to do? The economy is difficult, still. You don’t want to find another position; it might have taken you months to find this one. Yet you’re unhappy – and you might be letting everyone know it; through your demeanor, your performance, and sometimes even on Facebook or Twitter for the whole world to see… including your boss.
Well, you have three options: accept it, fix it – or move on.
Look… we know that at first glance this advice may fall into the “duh” category under common sense. But if that’s the case, why are so many people stuck in a job that sucks – yet they do nothing about it? Why do we constantly hear people bitching and moaning about being bored, or that their boss is a narcissistic jerk?
Seriously, in a situation like this you really only have three choices – and you must pick one.

Accept the Situation

For some people, accepting this kind of situation works for them. Some people land a job or internship that, while not challenging, provides them a comfortable position and provides them with a steady paycheck. Game over. Shut up.

Change the Situation

Some other people, however, can’t live with the fact that they aren’t being challenged, or that the boss is not worthy of his title. They’re not happy just chugging along earning a paycheck. They want more responsibility, or different responsibilities.
If that is your case, you need to take action. Grumbling to your co-workers or Friends on Facebook is not going to improve your situation – in fact even people who love you will think you are being a whiner, a victim – or both.
Talk to your manager in a measured, diplomatic manner about your situation, and frustration. Communicate. Listen. Don’t just complain – have an action plan formulated that includes solutions to present to your manager. Perhaps there’s a way to expand your role. Maybe there’s another department where the work is of interest to you.
Maybe a different management style that would work better for you. In this case, suggest that you and your manager could move into a mentor relationship, and greatly improve your work environment. You may also consider volunteering for special assignments that will challenge and expand your skill set.
If the manager (or perhaps human resources) still doesn’t listen, or react as you had hoped, there’s also the third option…

Time to Move On

Sometimes, in a bad or dead-end job situation, there comes a time where you just have to leave. No matter what you do to try to improve it, or how you view the situation, it just becomes unbearable.
That my friends, is called “inspiration”.
These very situations have been the inspiration for countless entrepreneurs and today’s business leaders. Time to move on to bigger and better challenges. There’s nothing to be afraid of; it’s just another aspect of work – and life.
Ultimately in this third option, your professional happiness lies elsewhere. Embrace the new possibilities.
Have a job that sucks? Accept it, fix it – or move on. Doing what makes you happy is makes much more “common sense” than doing nothing.