Life lesson number two never stay at a job you hate.
I had to think long and hard about downloading this post, and I am because I’m hoping someone can learn from my mistake. Accepting the job when it was offered to me was a mistake. I had a simple job as a switchboard operator at the Welcome Center at a small university. The tasks I did were boring but uncomplicated. I thought working in the Parking Office a good challenge, but I had no idea the job being the equvalent of catching a political football. Everybody in the university hates Parking Services. After I caught the forward pass, I ran it right over the goal line. My actions didn’t score a point for the parking team but made me a scapegoat. Never stay at a job you hate.
Never Stay at a Job You Hate
It didn’t take long for me to realize I needed to establish person goals if I was going to survive on the job. I worked to make the department efficient, able to pay our bills, and fair. This task wasn’t difficult because I was the only person in the department. The campus Chief of Police assigned the task of supervising the department considered the job beneath him, That left me to make all the decisions, training, and implementations of the job.
The biggest issue I discovered at my new job was that the university didn’t want an efficient, profitable, and fair parking service. A middling had its advantages I couldn’t comprehend. Cheaters don’t like getting caught when they cheat.
Never stay at a job you hate
I know the exact day I should have given my two-week notice. We were three weeks into the fall semester. The parking office remained open for extended hours to allow people to purchase permits. Since I was the only employee, I’d worked 12-hour days for those weeks without taking lunch or a break. I decided to take my normal posted lunch hour safe. Wrong.
An angry student showed up. He was two weeks late getting his parking pass. When he saw I wasn’t behind my locked door, he entered another office and started throwing things around. I was accustomed to that sort of behavior, but the secretary in that office wasn’t. By the time I returned to the office, all hell broke loose. Fiery emails flew back and forth, declaring me incompetent and irresponsible. I used bad judgment for taking a lunch hour like every other employee. My office hours were listed on the door, parking website, and campus electronic billboard.
I spent the remainder of the day with tears streaming down my face while other people streamed in and out of my office to witness the meltdown of the parking lady.
Never stay at a job you hate
I stuck around for twelve more years thinking the job would get better. It didn’t. I have a character flaw. There is something inside of me that won’t give up even though I know I am playing a losing game. I spent years trying to fit a round peg into a square hole, but I did play a large role in paying off the bound on the parking garage. Part of my benefits included a small pension, so at least that is something. Still, I can’t help thinking my life would have been much richer if I had found the courage to drop the ball and run in the opposite direction from the trick goalpost.
Never stay at a job you hate
Tricks to spotting one of those nasty jobs.
- No matter what you do, it is never enough.
- Your supervisor always takes credit for your ideas without compensating you.
- You discover you a treated differently than other employees.
- People are allowed to bully you.
- You feel isolated.
- Unrealistic expectations.
- Your morale is in the dumpster.
- Your place of employment causes psychological pain.
If you experience any of these symptoms, freshen up your resume.
Who is Molly Shea?
Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh. To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.
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You didn’t deserve any of that. Sometimes I get mad at financial aid at my college, but I have to remember to calm down because the actual workers aren’t the problem. They’re just doing a job and getting paid (usually not enough either) and the actual university is being a dick and usually very cheap.
I understand people’s rage, but sheesh. We are all humans and deserve respect…😣
Thank you. I understand your frustration. The people in those offices try very hard, but the people running the departments don’t live in the real world like the rest of us. Plus, they don’t listen to the people doing the job because they think they don’t know anything. It causes frustration for everyone stuck in the process except them.
I was an employment counsellor for a number of years and always drummed this into my clients minds. It is unhealthy to stay in a job you hate. I was lucky, except for a very short time, I always had jobs I loved. The one I didn’t, I left after a few months. I could see where it was going. But I also understand hanging around in case it gets better. Hubby did that. We are enjoying the pension. xo
I think the lack of opportunity for women with jobs that carry health insurance and benefits in our small city played a roll. The only other financially lucrative jobs was factory worker and striper. The topless dancer positions had more job security and better pay.
That makes sense. There are limited opportunities in a smaller place. Although, you would have made a great stripper I’m sure and think of all the stories you could tell now!
You have a point.
I so agree!
Thank you.