 Breaking Out of Project Prison
You’ve survived the layoffs, pay freezes and slashed benefits. And you’ve probably traded any perks you had for extra hours.
Yes, you still have a job — but you hate it.
You’re hardly alone. Forty-five percent of 5,000 U.S. respondents reported being dissatisfied with their jobs—the highest level in two decades, according to a January 2010 report for The Conference Board by TNS, the world’s largest custom research company. In addition, 51 percent of 550 employees surveyed in Canada are unhappy in their positions, according to a 2009 survey from CareerBuilder Canada, an online job board.
In this economy, though, project managers are likely to consider themselves lucky to have a job, even if it’s one they don’t particularly care for. Still, that makes it hard to stay motivated and committed to your work, which can ultimately impact your reputation with your current organization and damage your chances with prospective employers.
Quitting may seem like the obvious (and perhaps the most tempting) answer. But before jumping ship, dig for the root cause of your unhappiness. Otherwise, you may find yourself repeating history — just at a different company.
Detect the Problem
Try to identify what you can do to make your current job more bearable and how you can use it as a springboard to your next project.
If your job has started to feel routine, for example, find concrete examples of why you don’t find it engaging anymore. Give these to your boss and show him or her that you’d welcome more variety and challenges in your work, suggests Linda Barrington, managing director of the Compensation Research Initiative in the ILR School at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
“Talk about your frustrations in a positive way. Say to your boss, ‘I really believe in this project, but help me understand the impact it’s having on the organization because I want to make a difference in our company,’” she says. “There are positive ways you can state your concern, which position you as a champion for the company as opposed to a complainer.”
By taking time to explore options within your organization and communicating with your boss, you may find that your best career prospects are actually with your current employer, says John Lees, a Knutsford, Cheshire, England-based career consultant and author of How to Get a Job You’ll Love: A Practical Guide to Unlocking Your Talents and Finding Your Ideal Career.
“It’s always worth giving your employer at least one good chance to retain you,” he says. “Ask for a review meeting and demonstrate what you have achieved and how you would like your job to change.”
Voicing your concerns about your current projects could not only pay off for you, but the company as well.
“I’ve coached successful people who outline why a position needs to change and how it could benefit the company. They are seen as proactive and at the same time it can be an eye-opener for the organization,” says Mary Key, PhD, president of consulting firm Key Associates Inc., Tampa, Florida, USA.
Even if you feel unhappy in your current role, don’t sabotage your reputation by letting your current projects slip. You still must show that you are making an effort to contribute.
“Find a reason that the project is important and why that supersedes your dissatisfaction,” Ms. Key says. “By finding reasons why the project is teaching you new things, then you can better separate it from your dislike for your job.”
It may even be your ticket out. You may hate the project, but a potential employer isn’t going to care about that if you can show them how you delivered results.
If you still end up hating your job, then it’s time to come up with an exit plan.
“There comes a point where your work unhappiness absorbs more energy than the work itself,” says Mr. Lees. “By this stage it’s definitely time to act.”
This article is taken from PMI’s Career Central website. Visit Career Central for more resources to empower your career. |
