Maybe you’ve just started a new role. Maybe you’ve been in the same one for years. Either way, the Sunday evening feeling has stopped being a Sunday thing.
What do you do if you hate your job? Or you’ve joined a business and it just isn’t right?
We get asked this every day. So here’s our honest advice.
First, let’s acknowledge something. Being unhappy at work is stressful. It can chip away at your confidence, your happiness, your relationships and your mental health. It follows you home, sits next to you on the sofa and quietly ruins your weekend.
That’s exactly why the first step isn’t to quit. It’s to breathe.
Before you make any big decision, park the emotion for a moment and look at the bigger picture as clinically as you can. Take stock. Don’t react.
Resignation letters written at 11pm on a Tuesday rarely age well.
1. Try to Fix It Before You Quit
Good people try to make things better before they walk away.
Start by working out what’s actually wrong. Is it the work? The manager? The culture? The commute? “Everything” is an understandable answer, but it’s rarely the accurate one.
If the problem is cultural, ask yourself whether you can influence it. You don’t have to simply fit into someone else’s culture. You can help define your own.
Then ask the obvious question. Have you spoken to your manager? Have you been honest about what isn’t working?
It’s the conversation most people avoid. But good people and good businesses will often try to help, and you’d be surprised how much one honest conversation can change. A manager can’t fix a problem they don’t know exists.
And if nothing changes? At least you’ll know you tried. That makes the next decision a lot clearer.
2. Give It Time
If you’ve recently joined a new business, don’t underestimate how long it takes to settle in.
You’re not just adapting to a new world. You’re also unlearning the habits and culture of your last one. That’s twice the work, and it’s tiring.
“We did it this way at my last place” doesn’t always help. Your new team isn’t your old team, and it won’t be for a while.
Give it time. Sometimes things genuinely get better once you find your feet.
3. What If the Job Really Is Terrible?
Sometimes you’ve tried to fix it, you’ve given it time, and it’s still not right. In that case, you have three options:
1️⃣ Quit.
2️⃣ Stick it out.
3️⃣ Start looking whilst you’re still working.
An important caveat first. Nothing is more important than your mental health, your happiness or your personal values. If a business is making you unwell, or asking you to compromise your ethics, that’s a different conversation entirely. Look after yourself first.
But if that isn’t the case, in this market we’d generally recommend finding something new before you leave. Here’s why.
The Market Tends to Favour People Who Are Already Employed
Right now, the recruitment market tends to favour candidates who are currently in work. They’re often an easier sell.
Looking whilst employed also reduces the risk of long gaps on your CV, and the questions that come with them:
- “Why did they leave without another job?”
- “If they were that good, why have they been out of work so long?”
Harsh? Yes. But these conversations do happen, and it’s better to know that now.
There’s Less Financial Pressure
When you’re still being paid, you can afford to be selective. You can say no to the wrong role and wait for the right one.
Without that safety net, it’s tempting to jump at the first offer. And leaping out of one bad job straight into another is the career equivalent of escaping the rain by standing under a gutter.
4. What If You’ve Already Quit?
It happens. And it’s not the end of the world.
The upside is that you can now fully commit to your job search and your interviews. No more booking “dentist appointments” at suspiciously regular intervals.
Also, don’t forget the interim market.
Interim work can be brilliant. It pays well, it can be great fun and it gives you exposure to different businesses.
One word of caution, though. Do three or more interim assignments in a row and there’s a risk the market starts viewing you as an interim candidate rather than a permanent one. Moving back into a permanent role can then become harder.
If interim is your bridge, decide early where you want it to lead.
Our Final Bit of Advice
Don’t stay somewhere that’s making you miserable just because you’re worried about your CV.
But equally, don’t let one bad career decision push you into making another.
The approach we’d recommend is simple:
✅ Try to fix it.
✅ Give it a chance.
✅ Then have a plan and be proactive.
Having no plan just creates more stress. You end up feeling stuck, and stuck is a horrible place to make decisions from.
Ideally, move jobs because you’re excited about where you’re going, not just because you’re desperate to leave.
Not Sure What Your Next Move Should Be?
Whether you’re weighing up staying, going or trying interim, we’re happy to talk it through. Honestly, and with no pressure to move anywhere. Sometimes the honest answer is to stay put.
You can also join us at We Do Wednesdays, our weekly call for candidates at 12:30pm. Everyone is welcome.
