Employee frets about overdue job change
Dear Amy: I have spent the last seven years working in the same small department in a relatively small company (80 employees).
My title has changed a couple of times since I have been here, and my responsibilities have increased over the years, but the basic structure of my job is static.
I am very unhappy in my job. Major factors include a brilliant but short-tempered and inconsistent boss, my insecurities, the lack of a substantive raise, boredom and the erosion of the wall I built for myself between work and home life (late-night phone calls out of the blue, scheduling conference calls for 7:30 a.m., etc.).
Although I stand up for myself, my protestations are never well-received, and I cannot expect any support from my boss.
I am expecting a child (my third) in the spring, and I plan not to return after my maternity leave.
I plan to take a year and a half to upgrade my professional qualifications, and then return to the workforce when I can find a position that offers better work-life balance without too much of a pay cut.
The thing is, I am freaking out about this decision. My thoughts are all muddy. On the one hand, I feel like if I only made myself focus better, work harder, be more on the ball, I would have a greater sense of satisfaction from my work, my boss would be happier, the boredom and insecurity would go away and I would not have to leave a job that is impressive (on paper).
On the other hand, I also feel that I am not treated with respect, that fault will always be found in my work rather than giving me my due, that my boss' expectations are inconsistent and unrealistic and that I have coped with this as well as anyone possibly could.
How do I sort through these conflicting feelings to arrive at some peace of mind?
-- Worried
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