TRAPPED AT WORK?
If the highlight of your day
is a coffee run, it’s time for
a 9-to-5 rethink. We did a
survey with LinkedIn and
learned what separates a
great job from a sucky one.
Here’s how to fun up your gig.
By Marisa Cohen
44%
of the under-30
crowd in our
survey said time
drags at work.
To stop clockwatching, read on.
“OMG. I am so bored.” Make time fly...
TODAY
THIS WEEK
THIS YEAR
Think back. Remember all the
reasons you took this job in the
first place. Was it the sweet hours?
A quickie commute? Tons of
responsibility? Then come up with
ways to rekindle the excitement you
felt on day one, says Jane Boucher,
author of How to Love the Job
You Hate. Go out after work and
enjoy your free evenings; bike to
the office just because you can.
Set two goals. Make one
short-term—“I’ll go to two
networking events this month”—
to get an instant sense of
satisfaction that you’re opening
doors to a happier future. The other
should be bigger-picture: “In a
year I want to get promoted.” Clearcut goals increase your energy
and focus, says Alan Saks, Ph.D.,
professor of human resources
at the University of Toronto.
Find a mentor. “Reach out
Escape your desk. Working
endless hours can affect your
productivity. Take an honest-togoodness lunch break (we know,
crazy, right?) and eat your salad
in the park or hit a yoga class.
You’ll be more effective after a
time-out, research shows.
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Brainstorm with pals.
If you spend all day sitting solo in
your cube, creative thinking can
go out the (nonexistent) window.
Bounce a few ideas off a coworker,
or ask your boss if you can pitch
in with a group project.
to a higher-up at your workplace
and ask if you can take her out for
coffee to get advice,” says Sharon
Jordan-Evans, coauthor of Love It,
Don’t Leave It. When someone you
respect takes the time to talk with
you, it helps you feel engaged with
what you’re working on.
Take a class. “Honing your
job skills—say, learning how to
better use social media—can help
you feel more confident about your
abilities, which translates to feeling
more motivated at work,” Saks
says. (Your company may even pay
your tuition!) Plus, the more you
learn, the more marketable you’ll
be when it’s time to move on.
So you really want to peace out
THIS IS MY JOB?! FML.
Before you jump ship for another field, it’s good to have a little insider intel. Based
on our survey results, here’s where you will—and won’t—find satisfied coworkers.
Fat paychecks and fancy perks don’t equal contentment.
You need something deeper. Agree with any of these
statements and it’s likely your job falls short of fulfilling.
THE HAPPIEST
PEEPS ARE...
✓
My company’s not inspiring.
If you wish your company had a purpose a bit more
noble than padding the owner’s bank account, spearhead
a community project, such as a book drive, suggests Nicole
Williams, career expert at LinkedIn and author of Girl
on Top. “It’s great PR for the company, brings the team
together and makes everyone feel good about their work.”
✓
I don’t care about the projects I work on.
When you’re stuck with tasks you could do in your sleep
(or that bore you to sleep), consider ways you might combine your
interests with the company’s goals—perhaps by updating the
website or making connections to nab new clients. Before you run
your plan by your boss, come up with solutions for how you’ll cover
your old to-dos while taking on the new project, Jordan-Evans says.
✓
✓
There’s no opportunity to get promoted.
Room for growth is key to being happy at work, especially
when you’re first starting out. Before you resign yourself to being an
assistant for life, ask your manager, “What are you looking to
accomplish this quarter, and how can I help?” Giving your boss a
boost makes you an MVP, Williams says. And when a spot opens
higher on the ladder, odds are, she’ll be happy to give you a leg up.
IMPROVING LIVES
Our first thought: Really?? Construction
is seriously taxing work, and hard
hats aren’t exactly comfortable (or
fashionable). But then we remembered
our Lincoln Log and Lego days—building
things is super satisfying! Connie
Leipard, owner of Quality Drywall
Construction, confirms it: “There can
Nonprofit work is rewarding, or it should
be, but shoestring budgets don’t always
go hand in hand with dreaming big and
bettering the world. “Everyone I work
with is really passionate—but at times
work can be frustrating,” says Rachna
Goel, president and founder of the Jane
Doe Advocacy Center in St. Louis, which
provides legal services to those at risk for
sexual violence. “The pay is low and you
don’t get a lot of acknowledgment. If
you don’t pat yourself on the back every
now and then, no one will.”
And when you complete a project,
you can look at it and say, ‘I built that.’
It’s such an awesome feeling!”
My opinions
don’t matter.
It’s really frustrating to feel
that you aren’t being taken
seriously. But spouting off an
uninformed opinion is the
fastest way to make higher-ups
tune you out. “Attend industry
events, read insider blogs and
ask questions,” Williams says.
“Once you digest the info that’s
out there and integrate it with
your own ideas in a thoughtful,
insightful way, people will
definitely start listening to you.”
BUILDING STUFF
be days when you’re totally
exhausted, but it’s never boring.
93%
of people
would still
work if
they won
the lottery.
That includes full-time, parttime and volunteering. We
must get something out of it!
PREVIOUS SPREAD: THOMAS BARWICK/GETTY IMAGES. OPPOSITE: PETER FRANK/CORBIS.
✓
The boss never
talks to me.
It’s like a high school crush:
Sometimes you gotta
make the first move. If
your organization doesn’t
require employee reviews,
ask for a meeting with your
supervisor, Boucher says.
“Think of it as a dialogue—
and a great time to address
any concerns your boss
might have about your work.”
AND THE LEAST
HAPPY ARE...
GUIDING THE COUNTRY
WRITING CODE
Sure, it’s easy to crack jokes about
government inefficiency—it’s why we love
Parks and Rec! But we admit there’s
a coolness factor to being in charge of
issues that affect people in every
community. “I love that the cases I
work on are meaningful and make an
impact,” says Bonnie Prober, an attorney
with the U.S. Department of Justice.
“There are fewer resources than in the
private sector, but that means you get a
lot of responsibility right from the start.”
Tech companies tend to offer fun perks,
like free lunches and on-site fitness classes.
But that doesn’t always make up for the
crazy-long hours or the amount of one-onone time with your computer. “I love
bringing something to life with code, but
it can be a tough process, filled with
late nights and unexpected delays,” says
Jennifer Medbery, CEO of Kickboard, an
education company. “And as soon as you
launch, you have to constantly update,
so it feels like nothing is ever finished.”
WORKING OUT ALL DAY
REPORTING THE NEWS
Um, obvs! Not gonna lie: We’re pretty
jealous that those in the recreation field
get to rock their gym clothes 24/7.
And there’s the feel-good component of
helping people get in shape or learn a
new skill, like surfing or CrossFit. “I’m a
trainer first, but I’m also a friend, guide
and unofficial therapist to my clients,”
says Leanne Shear, cofounder of Uplift
Studios, a women-only gym in New York
City. “I’m so inspired by the women
I train; it makes the 16-hour days worth it.”
Awkward. But we can kind of understand
why the media biz gets a bad rap. It’s a
tough economy, and with smaller staffs
and a 24/7 news cycle, there’s no
rest for the (weary) reporters. We
at SELF love what we do—giving you info
that helps make your life happier and
healthier. And no, we aren’t just saying
that. We’re looking forward to bringing
more knowledge to smart readers like you,
whether it’s in the mag, on Self.com or on
Twitter or Facebook. We hope you enjoy it!
DISAGREE WITH THE RANKINGS OR OUR OPINIONS? Discuss! Tweet @SELFmagazine with #MyJob.
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