Why Your Current Job Deserves a Second Chance

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Can you no longer stand your current job? Are you faced with unreasonable expectations and difficult colleagues? Do your employers’ values not correspond with your own? Three good reasons to start looking for a new job, right? Not so fast. Read on to consider why it might be worth giving your current job a second chance (unless, of course, you are experiencing bullying, harassment, burn-out, etc…)

Your current role is an excellent laboratory for experimentation

So, you don’t intend on staying much longer in your current position? Since you have nothing to lose, you have an excellent opportunity to try out new ways of working. Whether it is a new way of organising your work, a new approach to interacting with your colleagues, or a new strategy for setting boundaries or saying “no” to projects that are not a good fit or for which you do not have the time, use the situation to your advantage and conduct some real-world experiments into optimal ways of working.

Knowing that you may well move on in the medium term might just give you the sense of freedom you need in order to modify your working habits without undue fear about possible repercussions. So, take this opportunity to test out new things, to observe what works and what does not, to see how your clients and colleagues react to the changes you implement. You may well be surprised by the results — and in the absolute worst-case scenario, you will simply leave as you initially planned (since you are a reasonable person, you surely will not try anything extreme that will put your work relationships at risk).

Changing jobs is not a cure-all

Indeed, changing a job can solve certain problems that are directly linked to your current employer. However, we play an active role in the workplace, and rare are the situations in which we can blame others for 100% of the problems we experience. For example, while an unreasonable workload can be due largely to others’ demands, part of the problem may be your incapacity to say “no” effectively. And although it is true that some colleagues might seem impossible to get along with, unfortunately no workplace is able to screen out all difficult individuals: as long as they are not bullying or harassing you, you often need to learn how to live with them.

In other words: a new job may well help you avoid some sources of stress, but there are just as many others that will follow you wherever you go. It is best to learn how to deal with them in your current role, so that when you do finally move on, you will be able to get off to the best possible start.

Your colleagues may have no idea that you are struggling

I have seen it time and again: someone is suffering at work but, instead of showing it, they simply carry on as if nothing is wrong. Maybe they do not dare to say anything, for fear of being perceived as someone who complains too much; maybe they think that their management is aware of the problems and simply do not care; perhaps they think that it would be impossible for the situation to change even if they did tell their colleagues what was going on. If you plan on leaving in any event, why not try to change things, especially if you have invested a significant amount of time and energy in your current role?

It is sometimes difficult to hear, but as tempting as moving on to greener pastures might be, it will not solve all of your professional problems. Before you hand in your resignation, take the time to evaluate not only how you might be able to adapt the way you work, but also what adjustments you might be able to make to your current role. At worst, it is an excellent opportunity to try new ways of working and to ensure that you start your next role in the best possible conditions.

Are you in a tough situation at work? Get in touch with Jon here to find out how he helps his clients to get the most out of their careers by adapting their roles to their needs and adapting their working methods to their roles. If you would first like to know more about his qualifications and experience, click here.