Stuck in a Job You Don’t Like?

This must be a rite of passage that almost everyone goes through at some point: to be stuck in a job you don’t like.

You’ll be all too familiar with the feelings that come with it:

Feeling of dread that starts on Sunday evening and peaks on Monday morning as you wake up and think, “Here we go again.”
Sense of ennui you get as you go through your tasks robotically and listlessly, staring out the window or wishing you were someplace else.

If you work in an office, you have that temptation to sweep everything off your desk, chuck your laptop into the bin, and walk out.

Personally, I’ve also entertained hopes that the office burned down overnight so I don’t have to go to work… but that’s a different story.

So, what can we do in this situation?

What can we do about it?

If you are not a follower of Jesus Christ, you might just have to think about practical issues such as whether you can afford to quit, or how to negotiate for a better position.

Search online “What if I’m stuck in a job”, and you’ll probably find tons of articles giving good, practical advice.

But Christians will want to respond in a way that honours God.

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We want to make sure that our decisions are in line with God’s way and will, so we don’t say or do anything regretful.

That makes things all the more challenging, because there may not always be a “right” or “best” answer.

What if God wants us to stay in a boring or tough job because he has important plans for us down the line?

Or, what if God actually has a better job lined up, but we need to go out and look for it — or wait for it to come?

With God in the picture, many of our considerations will change.

However, that doesn’t mean we should simply throw our hands into the air helplessly, and wait for the “inevitable” to happen.

While the Bible makes clear that we are to subject ourselves to God’s will (James 4:13–15), it also emphasises the importance of wise, careful planning.

Proverbs 21:5, for example, observes that “the plans of the diligent lead to profit”.

Some key questions to ask

I’ve found that whenever I’ve felt demoralised, it has helped to ask three key questions (and the questions that naturally follow).

Doing this has allowed me to be more targeted and detailed in my prayers, as well as in my practical plans.

1. What exactly don’t you like about your job?

It’s easy to say, “I hate my job!”, but it would be wise to drill it down further and ask: Exactly what don’t I like about my job?

For instance:

a) Can you ask for a change of job scope, or a transfer?

Can you talk to your boss about how you can do more of the things you like, and less of those you don’t?

b) Can you consider a change of perspective, remembering that to do a task we like (in my case, editing or writing), we often have to put up with parts we don’t like (administrative tasks such as meetings or composing emails)?

Can you learn to appreciate more of what you like, and accept the other parts as, well, part of “life”?

c) If it’s your colleagues or your boss, what is it about them that bothers you?

Is it a specific behaviour you could talk to them about honestly — but discreetly and sensitively?

Is it possible to avoid engaging someone on issues and discussions which trigger you?

If needed, can you keep to a minimum any conversations with a discouraging or foul-mouthed colleague?

Perhaps we can be guided by Paul’s advice in Romans 12:18: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

Dealing with people in a godly way is always a challenge.

It may not be possible to resolve conflict with every individual.

However, when we remember our own sinful nature and how we are still “works in progress” who have been forgiven and are being transformed by the Holy Spirit, we can learn to extend grace to others.

Remember that they, too, may be on a journey of development.