Not Feeling Your Career? Here’s How To Get The Love Back

Originally Published March 19, 2014

Many students feel frustrated and burned out after the post-graduate honeymoon phase is over and the rose-tinted glasses have gone out of style. You may have walked off the graduation stage ready to take on the world. Now a few years working 9-to-5 has you thinking, “This can’t be life.”

Well, fret no more. Everyone has those days of second-guessing why they chose their career path and re-evaluating whether any of it is even worth it. Before you put in your two weeks’ notice and head into the unknown, consider these three steps to help you fall back in love with your career.

Make a list of pros and cons

Consider factors such as location, salary, job duties, potential for growth, network, and agreement with your passions (or what you do well). Oftentimes, you’ll find that there’s more that you love—or can grow to love, in the grand scheme of things—than you think. If there are more cons than pros, maybe it’s not your career choice but the particular job you hold. If that’s the case, try to think of positive ways to change negatives about that current post. A relocation, not a change of career, may be in order.

Learn more about your industry

Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in doing and thinking about the same things over and over again in terms of your career. There can be other aspects of the industry you’re in that you’ve never discovered or imagined. Stay abreast of industry trends and emerging jobs within your career path, and start networking with peers who are innovators or entrepreneurs. This is a great way to be at the pulse of what’s going on and become an innovator yourself.

Step your game up

Nothing like a good challenge to test your love affair with your career. Sign on for a new project that recharges your analytical and problem-solving skills. Partner with an awesome coworker to create new ideas and agendas that add value. Look into related tasks where you could position yourself for advancement.

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