Big mistake - Is it too late?

Has your dream job become the job from hell? Sometimes what may seem a great job can easily turn sour and your expectations of what the role would be like don’t match the reality. You are not alone - many workers regret taking a new position within the first few weeks of their tenure.

So what can you do about it and how can you avoid the same problem from happening again?

The first thing you need to do is to figure out what has gone wrong.

Before you took the job you hopefully did what did all of the necessary preparation - researched the position, talked to people performing the same job role, met with your new employer a few time prior to starting your new job. How could you have got it so wrong?

The most common reasons why new role do not work out are:

• The position and responsibilities differ from what you initially perceived
• You do not get along with your new boss
• You do not get along with your colleagues and dislike your new working environment
• The job you were hired to do is not the one you ended up with

If it’s a situation you can’t see turning itself round, the question is what should you do now?

Talk it over
It is human nature to have second thoughts and doubts within the first few weeks or months of starting a new job. However, if the feeling persists for a prolonged period of time and your feelings haven’t changed after you have discussed your concerns with your boss, then it may be time to jump ship and look for another job.

Leave before it’s too late
There is nothing to gain by staying in a position you regret taking, but there is a lot to lose in the long term. The longer you remain in your job, the less motivated, less effective and less productive you will become, which could tarnish your reputation and damage future career prospects.

If you’re still in your probation period it may be possible to leave with very little or even no notice, but this should only be done in the most extreme cases.

Self-analysis
Before you hand in your notice and start applying for a new job, take stock of your position and do some in-depth soul-searching, after all you don’t want to repeat the mistake. Why did you leave your last job? Did you want a new challenge? Do you want new skills or to change career?
Identify what your key motivating factors are and use them to form the basis of your new job search.

Explaining it away
If the hopes and aspirations that you held for your new job have been dashed, don’t dismay. The fact that you were prepared to make the change will demonstrate to future employers that you are someone who strives to develop your career, to learn new experiences and to use your new found knowledge to greater effect in whatever role you perform.