How to Make the Most of a Job You Hate

Simply having a job in this economy is something to be thankful for, but ever since the recession began in late 2007, many Americans who managed to stay employed have expressed dissatisfaction.

One recent survey from Gallup found that employee satisfaction has dropped for virtually every aspect of the job since mid-2008.

More than a third of workers are dissatisfied with the amount of work stress they have, compared with 28% three years ago. Some 17% are dissatisfied with the amount of work required of them, an increase of four percentage points from 2008, and 18% are unhappy with the amount of job security they have now compared to just 13% who were in 2008.

Much of this can be pinned to the economic downturn that has upended the labor market as we know it. Those who are employed generally work longer hours and pick up the slack of those who have been laid off, all while seeing their earnings remain essentially stagnant. Unfortunately, with unemployment stuck above 9%, many workers likely feel forced to stick with a job they hate just for the security of getting a regular paycheck.

But that doesn't mean you can't improve your skills and turn a negative experience into a positive one.

"The mistake that people might make is just saying, 'This job is awful but the economy is awful too, so I'll just wait for six months and not do anything but be unhappy,'" says Charles Purdy, a career expert with Monster.com. "That just ends up wasting six months."

Instead, Purdy and other career experts argue that if you are planning to stay at a job for the near future, no matter how much you may loathe the position, it's your responsibility to find ways to make the most of it both personally and professionally. Even the bad jobs often provide more perks than you might think if you know where to look.

With this in mind, here are some principles for making the most of a job you hate:

Identify what parts of the job you like and don't.
The first and most important step for making a bad job more rewarding is to determine which parts of the job you enjoy -- and which you don't.

"There must be something you like about your job, whether it's your co-workers, or the fact that you get to work in a field you find interesting or even just your short commute," says Alison Green, the writer behind the popular Ask A Manager blog. "If you're stuck in a bad situation, focusing on the good elements, no matter how small, can help keep you sane."

While identifying what you do like can keep you sane, singling out what you don't like can keep you focused on what you need to change.

"Identify the core issues that make you hate the job and set a date to fix those issues," says John Challenger, CEO of the career research firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. "If that date passes and it's still the same, then call it quits and go somewhere else."

Ask for more responsibility
Given how many Americans feel overworked, it may seem counterproductive to ask for more work, but oftentimes the problem is as much about the kind of work that one is doing as the quantity of it. If you're dissatisfied with the tasks you've been assigned, approach your boss with a project you would like to take on in addition to your workload.

"Figure out a necessary project that's not being tackled and volunteer to spearhead the initiative," says Tory Johnson, founder of WomenForHire.com. "Even though it'll mean more work for you, there's always huge satisfaction in doing something that you can own."

Displaying this kind of ambition may also impress your boss and others at the company, thereby improving your chances of getting a promotion or at least good references when applying for other jobs down the road.

Learn new skills
If your job doesn't provide you with the kind of professional experience you need for the rest of your career, there's a good chance you may be able to cultivate your desired skill set elsewhere in the company.

Purdy recommends shadowing other employees in the company who work jobs more closely related to your dream career. For example, if you work as an administrative assistant but have dreams of working in public relations, you might consider reaching out to someone in that department at your company and asking to spend an hour a week watching how they work, or getting lunch with them from time to time to pick their brain.

If there are no opportunities to do this at your company, consider looking elsewhere for ways to learn a new skill set. One of the best options, according to Purdy, is to offer to volunteer your services to a nonprofit that needs the help. This will give you valuable experience learning a craft and will look good on your resume should you choose to pursue a career in that area. Alternatively, many companies offer full or partial tuition reimbursement to employees, so you could go back to school part-time to build your skill set that way.

Pursue extracurriculars
Just because you're miserable at work doesn't mean you can't use the company to pursue something enjoyable after hours.

As Purdy points out, it's usually not difficult to set up a book club at your office to provide an incentive to brush up on a particular subject, or you could launch a Toastmasters group to work on your public speaking. For those just looking to get away from the office, you might try starting a sports team. Not only does this give you something meaningful to do during the day, but it can help you network as well.

Build strong relationships with co-workers
Strengthening relationships in the office doesn't just make work more pleasant from day to day. It's also a smart career move in the long run.

"It's more important than ever to maintain good relationships with not only your bosses but also your co-workers, since networking is becoming more and more valuable in finding jobs," Purdy says. "Your former co-workers are more likely than ever to be reached out to by potential employers, and because people change jobs more often, today's co-worker could end up being tomorrow's job manager."

For these reasons, even if you absolutely hate your job, the last thing you should do is show it. Do your best to cultivate relationships, be friendly with those you work with every day and impress your bosses. Otherwise, you could end up developing a bad reputation that makes it that much harder for you to find better jobs.

"You don't want to be the Eeyore in your office, or else three years from now your co-workers will all remember you as the complainer," Purdy says. And if you do feel the desire to complain, try to make it a productive criticism with suggestions on how to improve a certain situation, rather than just a bitter lament.

Know how to job hunt while employed

If none of this makes the job any more rewarding, it's probably time to start looking for a new job. Unfortunately, hunting for a job while employed can be a complicated affair.

As we have reported in the past, the job hunter needs to be careful about scheduling interviews during work hours and should avoid telling coworkers or posting updates about the job search on social networks, for fear of having the employer find out and look to replace you. Employees who are job searching should also make a conscious effort not to slack off while in the office for the same reason.

When you do start hunting, Purdy urges employees to keep in mind the aspects of their current job that they dislike.

"A job interview is also about you assessing a new company," Purdy says. "Identify what you don't like now so you don't end up in the same situation again later."