Handle job regrets; what to do if you regret accepting the new job?

Job regrets are common. Everyone has bad days at the office. But if you find yourself thinking “I hate my new job”, that’s problematic. How do you handle job regrets without burning down bridges?

It’s not uncommon, unfortunately. After a grueling job hunt, going through endless interviews, you finally land a job. And you are over the moon with joy. It’s the perfect fit for you and you can’t wait to start. But then comes the snag. Barely a month into your ‘perfect job’ and you hate everything about it. You dislike your coworker, your manager takes micromanaging to a whole new level, and the responsibilities you have exceeds what you agreed to. Now you are stuck trying to handle job regrets.

Quitting again may feel tempting. But that’s not a solution. It’s reckless and irresponsible and not the best career move. So what can you do?

Ask yourself this…

• Where is this coming from? Is it the job you hate, or the fact that you are the ‘new one‘ at work. Don’t quit a job that really might be a good fit for you, if your reluctance to work there stems from unfamiliarity.
• Did you try to improve the situation? When you feel stuck in a situation you don’t like, it’s easy to focus only on that. But you got this job through your hard work, and you owe it to yourself to see if you can resolve this issue. At the very least, even if you end up quitting, you’ll know you gave it your all. So can you find ways to handle job regrets on your own?
• Will you discuss this with the manager? You aren’t the only person invested in this. The company also spent time trying to locate the perfect person to hire. So your manager deserves the courtesy of knowing your thoughts. Share your feelings with them if you can’t improve the situation through your own efforts. Perhaps they can help you to find a solution. Unless, of course, they are part of the problem.
• Can you afford to have this on your CV? If you quit short-term, it’s going in your CV. If your work history otherwise comprise long-term tenures, this one is not going to cause an issue. But if your CV is full of jobs where you have a short-term tenure, that creates a pattern that will raise more than one recruiter’s brow.
• Can you go without this income? Being out of a job sucks. And finding anotehr job may take some time. While you do that, can you support yourself? Is this worth the risk if you don’t have a secondary source of income or another job lined up?
  

Tips to handle job regrets

There are things you can do to handle your job regrets. And asking yourself the hard questions can sometimes help you to do this successfully.

Do some self-analysis

This is where two of the above questions will help you out. Figure out what is and is not working when it comes to this job. What are the things you like about this job? What can you do without? Once you figure out what the issue is, it will be easier to come up with a solution. If it’s something you can resolve alone or after discussing it with your manager, then that is something you should consider. However, if the issue is something you cannot compromise on at all, then it may be time to once again enter the job market.

Set realistic expectations

No job is perfect. If you have romantic visions of enjoying the perfect job at the perfect office with the perfect colleagues, you need to dial back your expectations. Like a lot of things in life, being a professional might involve a fair amount of compromising. Maybe your job comes with a competitive salary but a lousy commute. OR you have flexible hours, but it comes with a salary cut. But would this job be a good stepping stone for you? Sometimes these practicalities might persuade you to give the job a chance.

Brush up on your professional skills

Let’s say you decided to stay at this job. Instead of focusing on any job-related negativity, you can handle job regret through other avenues. For instance, you can brush up on your professional skills. If you persue your career advancement, you can instead get a job within your own company that brings you more contentment than your current one. Or you can even go for another job at a different company.

Give yourself a time limit

Sometimes the issue is that you are still unfamiliar with your new work place. In which case, entertaining thoughts of quitting is the worst way to handle your job regrets. Instead, give yourself some time to learn about the company procedures and culture and get familiar with your coworkers. During that period, find a mentor you can help you learn the ropes of your job. Perhaps as you get familiar with the job and company, your negative thoughts about the job will melt away.

Even if your soul searching doesn’t help you get a handle on job regrets, it might be time to look for a new job. Sometimes things don’t work out the way we want them to. And no amount of hard work can make a difference if your goals and interests don’t align with the company’s.

In which case, do it in a way that don’t burn any bridges. Somewhere down the road, you might be interested in another position this company offers. So even if you leave, do it in a way that lets you apply for a new position later on. Even if that is not the case, keeping it respectful and gracious will only be a good career move for yourself.