More and more I hear people talk about the importance of having healthy self-talk—making sure the dialogue in your head is helpful, accurate, and caring. This goes for the stories we tell ourselves too. We carry around a lot of preconceived ideas about what we should be doing and how we should be going about it, but let me tell you—when it comes to careers, some “truths” are just plain wrong.

That’s why I’m here sharing and critiquing some of the more harmful myths we’ve heard over the years. (If you’ve missed my first two posts about this—including busting the myths that (1) you should use only job sites to get the job you want, (2) you can’t make a living doing what you love, and (3) there’s a perfect job out there for everyone—catch up here).

Myth #4: If you don’t like your job, you’re probably in the wrong career.

When we feel dissatisfied with our current job, the career might not actually be the cause. I’m not trivializing these frustrations. On the contrary, I think these negative reactions are a signpost to get us to look deeper into the disconnect that’s happening. We may not be in the wrong career, but something certainly isn’t right.

Try to differentiate between a couple of things: 

• the role you have now
• the tasks you’ve been asked to complete
• a disconnect between your skills and what is being demanded of you
• work environment
• coworkers
• bosses
• commute
• or maybe it’s something outside of work altogether 

We may think we know what’s upsetting us, but taking a deeper look into every facet of our lives might save us from throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

First try to get clear about what’s causing your dissatisfaction. Sit down for 5 to 10 minutes at a notebook or computer (no internet browsing!) and just let the words flow about what might be bothering you. Try writing without stopping, whether it’s as lists, clusters/mind maps, or paragraphs—you might be surprised with what shows up on the page. As you get clearer insight on what’s bothering you, the next step might become more obvious.

Myth #5: Ignoring your career dissatisfaction will make it go away.

In the short term, of course this works. We can and do work through small or short-term problems all the time. Listening to your boss give yet another unnecessary lecture? Breathe in, breathe out, get happy hour drinks with friends, and commiserate. Start to have doubts about your career? It’s just the same, right? Breathe in, breathe out, commiserate?

But if this dissatisfaction is deep-seated, it can’t be waited out or wished away. You’ll start to daydream about leaving and doing “x.” And then you start coming up with reasons you can’t: I’m too old; I don’t want a pay cut; I don’t want to go back to school; I missed my opportunity ten years ago, I just need to let it go. This cycle of lifting up your spirits (daydreaming) and bringing back down (poking holes in them) builds on itself and wears us down even further.

So stop the cycle! You can’t wish away your feelings; you can only do something about them. Take the steps to make your present situation better, whether it’s finding a new project at work that utilizes your skills, a new organization with an environment that fits you better, or a new career path.

I’m always happy to bust some career myths and help people remove unneeded stress when it comes to their career and job search. If you’re uncertain about some preconceived idea about career fulfillment, send one over! 

I’m Stacey Lane: Career Coach | Transition & Career Strategist | Personal Brand Specialist

I help individuals with unique backgrounds find their perfect fit and effectively market themselves so they find work that is as interesting as they are.

Contact me to get started!