Work should not be an unhappiness zone

Career coach Khanya Matlala lists examples of why most people are unhappy in their jobs:

• You had a fight with a colleague/customer/manager and now don't feel comfortable working with them any longer.
• You don't feel supported by your manager, which ultimately affects your productivity.
• You're not getting any training to grow your skills.
• Your ideas are no longer valuable - people ignore you.
• If you just started working - your expectations of the job are not met. This is "not" what you thought you'd be doing. You might feel you deserve a better position because of your qualifications.
• You feel bullied.
• The work you are doing is in conflict with your personal values.

Are you unhappy or just lazy?

Can we tell the difference between sheer laziness at work and when your job is genuinely weighing you down?

We can't deny that some people are just lazy. They sit in a job and do as little as possible, or do only what their job description asks of them and never put in any extra effort.

They expect the company to be responsible for their career growth plans. Where you go in your career is your responsibility not your employers'.

How to move away from a dead-end job:

Before you jump ship - only to repeat the same mistakes in your next job - you have some serious introspection to do before leaving.

Create a vision of what it is you want to get out of your ideal job. What does it look like? Who are the people you want to work with? Build a clear picture of what you want and what you are willing to give to get what you want.

Understand that you create your dream job wherever you are.