Don't Let a Dreary Job Make You Feel Trapped

Perhaps your job has turned from difficult to dreadful as staffing has fallen and workloads have increased. Or maybe your office culture has gone bad along with the economy, with more complaining or more bounced checks.

So you feel stuck in a job you no longer want. It's a feeling that's spreading as unemployment rises and more people decide it's too risky to quit.

"Americans like to have options. They like to have job options. Instead, they're hunkering down," said Barbara Herzog, a D.C. career consultant.

She suggests that those who stay in a safe job they don't like should develop strategies to handle the situation and to better prepare themselves to leave when the economy improves.

One way is to take advantage of training to make yourself more marketable and move yourself toward career goals. If you want to start a small sustainable energy firm, as one of Herzog's clients does, stay in your government job and sign up for small-business start-up training. Or look for other classes that will prepare you for your new path.

If the cost of training seems prohibitive, try a community college or a certification program, where in three to five classes "you get new skills and enhanced credibility," she said. Or look for a professional who will barter for knowledge -- you could build a bookcase and computer stand for someone who will teach you to use a software program, or you could babysit in exchange for Web development training.

Another strategy that can help is volunteering at a nonprofit or trade association that relates to your career interests, Herzog said. Run a charity fundraiser and develop event-planning skills. Set up a panel and meet the players in your next field. This could build your skills and your network at the same time.

Look inward, too, said Marla Zipin, a psychotherapist and coach in Silver Spring. Create a list of things you like about your job -- friends at the office, a good paycheck, the prestige title on your résumé for an extra year, the freedom to work anywhere.

And remember the teachings of the great Eastern philosophers, "The world is as we see it," Zipin said.

So she suggests changing your perspective on your job and its purpose. "Any job can be a calling and any calling can turn into a job," she said.

People find greater satisfaction in any job when they tie the work to their core values. For instance, a janitor's work can support values such as helping others, enhancing beauty, supporting a family and achieving excellence.

"When we work from our core values, we're able to put up with all kinds of things," Zipin said.