Question from the reader

I am a subeditor and have been working in a monthly magazine for quite some time now. I am constantly having issues with my boss and my colleagues. I am a good worker and finish all my tasks well but my boss and my colleagues always give me a hard time. I have tried to go on working here but the things are getting worse. Recently, my boss overlooked me for a promotion in favor of a fellow employee who is not at all efficient and often fails to meet deadlines. The fact that my superior completely ignored me in favor of an incompetent employee has dampened my level of motivation. Now I am on the brink of submitting my letter of resignation. The only thing holding me back is the fact that I do not have a job right now. So if I leave the job now I will be jobless for a long time. Yet the thought of continuing to work here is almost unbearable. I am totally confused as to what course of action should be taken and I need you advice. Is it absolutely necessary for me to find another job before leaving this one? What effect will it have on my job search? Please help.

Samina Javed

Dear Samina,

If someone is making it difficult for you to work well at your office, it is understandable that you are going to look for another job. However, leaving the old job without getting a new job is not a good idea as it will create more problems rather than solving anything. The best option for you is to bear the situation and keep working here till you can find another job.
There are a lot of problems with leaving the current job without finding a new one, for instance:

  • When you are interviewed for a post, you will be asked to give the reasons for leaving the last job. Saying that you had issues with the previous boss and the coworkers will make you look like a troublesome employee and a person who is not capable of teamwork. This will diminish your chances of getting the job.
  • Getting a job while you are still in the job market is far easier than looking for a job when you are sitting at home. You will miss out on a lot of job opportunities just because you were not in the job market at that time.
  • When you are working at a place you are getting experience and polishing your skills, while when you are at home you will start getting rusty which will inevitably take its toll on your job hunt.

Under the circumstances that you have described, it can be very difficult to carry on with the job. However it is best if you try to make things bearable for the time being. If your boss made an unjust promotion, it is best that you talk to him about it and let him know that you were expecting the promotion. Ask him what you did wrong and what can you do in the future to make sure that you are not ignored for the next promotion. It might be true that there was something missing in your performance that the boss found in the other colleague. Try to remain positive and work things out.

Best of luck,
Rozee Team

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