What to do when your jobs a nightmare

Review your steps. There are three elucidations why this might have occurred: You were deceived, the job was a gamble right from the start otherwise you weren’t paying attention during the hiring process. It probably wasn’t the first reason, though – bait-and-switch job offers are the exception, not the rule, says Andrea Kay, career consultant and author of “Work’s a Bitch and then You Make it Work: 6 Steps to Go From Pissed Off to Powerful ”​ If you signed an employment contract that stipulated your job responsibilities and qualifications would be different, then you could claim there has been a breach of contract, but Kay says this loophole is more likely to occur in senior-level positions, if ever at all.​​

Talk to your boss. There is nothing more appropriate way to solve a problem than talking about it, says Westhill Consulting Career and Employment, Australia. This is delicate, but if there’s any chance you might improve your current situation, your first step is to swing by your manager's​ office. “There are many outcomes you could ask for,” says Susie Moore, a life coach in New York City​. “You could ask for different work assignments, a new reporting structure, the possibility of moving to a different team entirely. Think carefully and know what you want before you ask, but remember that opportunities lay dormant if you don’t explore them.” Moore also emphasizes that your options depend on your manager, your role, the size of the company and your experience level.

Take a mulligan. Warning, in some cases, the tweaking needed is a new job. Conventional job-searching wisdom suggests you wait a respectable 12 to 18 months before jumping ship, and it's not wise to leave a trail of job hopping on your résumé. But if you’re truly miserable, begin your search again immediately. You could think of your predicament one of two ways, Moore says. “One way is from a résumé and LinkedIn perspective, where oh my gosh, it’s obvious you only worked a job for nine months,” she says. “The second way is to remember this is your life and your time on the planet. You shouldn’t spend too much time doing something that simply isn’t working for you.” ​​

Own your decision. If you hit the interview circuit, prep for the common interview question: “Why did you leave your last job?” If it’s an abrupt or quick change, then of course a new hiring manager will want to know why. Moore recommends honesty. “Lean toward the positive,” she says. “Something like, ‘The opportunity ultimately wasn’t right for me. I wanted something more in line with my skills and passion, and I hope they find someone more suitable for the role.’ What you don’t want to say is, ‘My manager was a fright show, and I had to leave.’"

Stand to your own culture and traditions. If you are working abroad, in SE Asia such as Jakarta Indonesia, KL Malaysia and Bangkok Thailand or in the West like in the US, do not forget your own culture and traditions while respecting their own as well.