Career Doctor Articles

With the kind permission of the Career Doctor, jfo is able to bring you a series of articles to help you in your work situation and longer term career management

How to be happy in a low-paid job

Every week I meet people who complain about being in a low paid job and how unhappy they are in their employment. This is easily the most common complaint I hear, and I recently read an article which suggested that 80% of people are unhappy in their job. My extensive experience as a career counsellor would support this theory.

So if you are in a low paid job, what can you do about improving your circumstances?

MENTAL ADAPTATION

Of course not everyone in a low paid job is necessarily unhappy in it (apart from the wages). Sometimes the company is conveniently located to home, or work colleagues are a good crowd and the working atmosphere is cheery and pleasant. The work itself may be menial or repetitive but the person may feel that is all he or she can cope with. So sometimes people accept a lowly job, because it suits them at the moment.

But of course we all know that nothing stays the same forever, and when circumstances change, as they undoubtedly will, then how does one stay happy in a low paid job, when it has changed for the worse?

One way is to try and accept the situation and look for the best in the job. You might feel trapped in that job, so make the most of it, or get out. More about escaping later.

Accepting that being in employment, however poorly paid, is better than being on the dole, does help; and rationalising the situation, and convincing yourself that your job is the best you are going to get, for the moment, may help you to adapt to the situation.

When studying for my Human Resources qualification I had to learn about the Frederick Herzberg theory of motivation, as this was required reading for all students. The bottom line of his theory is that it is the work itself which motivates people, and not the wages. Fairly obvious I suppose. So if the work is OK, then the low pay should not be a major issue.

So how can you get more out of your lowly-paid job to compensate for the wages?

BROADEN THE BOUNDARIES

The classic way of increasing job satisfaction is to broaden the job’s boundaries. There are several ways.

Firstly, do-it-yourself. Very gradually and carefully start to assume greater responsibilities than those expected of you. Seek permission when you take that first step. Go up to your boss and say “do you mind if I do XXXXX as well as my normal duties?” Your boss will be surprised, pleased at your initiative, and will probably be delighted to have such a dynamic employee on his team. Not only will you get some Brownie Points, but your confidence and self-esteem will grow. More to the point, your job will be that much more interesting.

Keep repeating the process, and when a promotion opportunity comes up, who will the boss automatically think of first - you, of course!

Secondly, why not suggest to your boss that some form of job enrichment or job rotation might raise morale and production in your section? If you make that suggestion in a calm, pleasant and non-demanding way, so that he or she thinks it was their idea, then you may be onto a winner.

Better still, think how you would enrich a job or task, or how you could rotate people if you had the authority, and then put your ideas on paper and give it to the boss. Let him or her take the credit, that’s not important. What is important is that the work is improved by change and evolution, and that your work is that much more interesting as a result.

The claim for a pay increase can come later!

SMELL THE ROSES

In today’s pressurised society I often think that we do not take sufficient time out to smell the roses. What is important to you beyond work? Think of the hobbies, interests or sports that you enjoy and why not use these to be a “satisfaction substitute” for the lack of satisfaction in your present job?

So you learn to tolerate your job and its low pay, and you put more effort into whatever activity boils your kettle. I used to shoot archery and play chess, and got tremendous satisfaction from that. Winning an archery competition or a chess game meant a lot to me, and gave me a sense of achievement. If you do not have such an interest or sport or hobby, then go out and find one! There are so many to choose from!

Its all about quality of life. If you can’t get that from work, then find it elsewhere and look at your work - life balance. If you can get that about right, then that low-paid job may seem not so bad, after all.

“Live to work - or work to live” is a well-known way of viewing one’s job. Do you want a job that is so challenging and satisfying that you cannot wait to go to work and you enjoy every minute whilst at work? A lot of people would probably say “yes please” to the “live to work” theory; but how many workers are in the fortunate position of having such a job? Not many!
So for the majority of people, the “work to live” approach is the only option. Get a job, stick with it, take the money home and use it to live your life to the full. That’s where finding an activity where you can spend your non-working time becomes quite important.

What’s the alternative? Working in a lousy, low-paid job during the week, and then spending your free time watching TV, decorating, gardening, or cleaning the car? Is that all there is to life? No, go and smell the roses instead! That’s one way of coping with a low paid job.

ADDITIONAL WORK

Another way of coping with a low-paid job is to find additional work. Perhaps a part-time job working in a restaurant or bar, stacking shelves in a supermarket, driving a van, decorating other people’s houses, making wedding cakes, helping in care homes, cleaning offices, etc. There are many such jobs that are both worthwhile and rewarding, not just financially, but also in terms of a “feel-good” factor which money can’t buy.

What skills do you have? How could you exploit them? Do you have any business ideas? Have you thought about starting your own business? Perhaps you could combine your own business with your present job, for a little while until your venture picks up (more about this in a future article)

Alternatively why not consider volunteering for charity work? No extra money, of course, but “loosing yourself” by spending a few hours a week helping others is an excellent way of coping with the frustrations of a low paid job.

PREPARE FOR YOUR BETTER FUTURE

If you have a fixed idea about what you would like to do, work-wise, in the future, then it might be a good idea to identify any relevant training opportunities there are available, and start on a course of study.

Go to your library and find the career section; there are many reference books which will help you to thread your way through the maze of possible careers. Over the years I have built up a list of over 1200 careers, so one of these would be right for you. But which one?

If you would like to get into marketing, for example, then there are courses that can prepare you for the Chartered Institute of Marketing qualification. This applies to many other careers. Visit your local college and see what evening classes they provide.

Of course, studying for a marketing qualification if you are innately unsuited to such a career, or are statistically most unlikely to achieve, is a huge waste of your time, never mind the cost of the course. You might have been better advised to study law, for example. So how do you avoid wasting your time and money?

By carefully identifying the right career for your personality, age, previous experience, qualifications and prejudices. For example I could never be a chef, no matter how psychometrically suited I am to this career, as I can’t cook, and wonder what people actually do in kitchens. I spend many hours helping clients to identify the most suitable career path and together we put in a huge amount of effort into this most fundamental of tasks.

The major problem with studying for a qualification, laudable though it is - is that it will take quite some time. Most courses are between one and three years, and so you will be that much older by the time you can begin to consider how to escape from that low paid job. Can you afford to wait another two years in your low paid job?

For most people that is not practical and so I specialise in helping people find better employment, by using the skills, experience and qualifications that they have at the moment. For in reality, having a business qualification is not an automatic “golden key” that will be guaranteed to open new doors.

THE DUCK APPROACH

I think that everyone at work who feels that a new job is the only answer to solving their career or financial problems would be well advised to follow the duck approach - looking calm and serene on the surface, but pedalling away furiously under the surface, working hard at finding better employment.

Never confide in a work colleague or supervisor that you are looking for another job. In nearly 13 years as a career consultant I have heard countless stories about the unfortunate, and often cruel, things that have happened to people once their managers found out they were looking for another job.

So if you lose that low paid job before you were ready to hand in your notice, that is the worst of all scenarios. Do not trust anyone at work with your intentions, keep them to yourself and set about your task of getting another job, quietly and purposefully.

Look at your CV - will it attract the attention of a recruiter? Does it do your career justice? Is it well presented? If 180 people apply for an advertised job (normal for most reasonably paid jobs in Berkshire) then 175 applications will be rejected. How do you get to be in the select five that will be offered an interview?

Consider whether or not you want to carry on in the same job / career, and if not, then spend a lot of time thinking about what sort of work you would like to do for the rest of your career. How will you market yourself as a would-be XXX when you have little or no relevant experience?

Can you transform your career and future prospects - and escape the trap of the low-paid job?

The answer is “yes” as that is what I do for my clients on a daily basis. It can be done but its not easy. Buy a book or get advice.

Look at your self-marketing techniques and resolve to be more proactive and professional than ever before. Do what ever is necessary to get that offer of an interview and then knock their socks off by your sparkling performance at an interview (covered in a later article). Then you will have a better job which will hopefully solve some of your financial problems.

Good luck!

The Career Doctor is Eric Hearn, Chartered MCIPD and Managing Director of Milverton Career Solutions Ltd, Ascot, Berkshire, UK.

Contact details:
Tel: 01344 624383
Email: milvertoncareers@btconnect.com
Website: www.careerdevelopment.co.uk