Women’s Web is saying Goodbye! Please make sure you read this important notification.
Q&A for working women in India. Life coach Jaya Narayan suggests a comprehensive review for a woman who is bored and stressed at work
Comprehensive Review
In this edition of the Q&A for working women in India, life coach Jaya Narayan suggests a comprehensive career review for a woman who is bored and stressed at work.
Hi I am 26 years old CA by profession presently working in small firm in my hometown. I did choose my career on my own and always wanted to enter into commerce field. But somehow I do not enjoy my work. It becomes too stressful for me. I cannot handle pressure at the workplace. Things become boring every other day and I am not satisfied with the kind of work I have and the way I do it. Handling clients and day-to- day office job has also become a tough task. I want to do many things with my life and career but deciding about where to start is becoming very difficult. Things are so messed up that sometimes I feel I made a big mistake selecting my career. I want success in my profession but am unable to meet expectations at work. Please help me find a solution. Is there actually a mistake with my decision or I need to rework on my skills? I am ready to do whatever it takes to be happy and satisfied with my work and workplace.
Dear Friend
Thanks for writing in. It seems to me that having an active career is an important dimension to your life. Though your chosen field of work is commerce and you very well-qualified, something is amiss. I am a bit perplexed. Is it the nature of work or the organization that you work for or something else? You have expressed a wide range of feelings from boredom to stress. I suggest you get more specific and ponder about what is making you feel restless and dissatisfied –
1. Is it the nature and scope of work?
2. Is it the workplace culture?
3. Is it the style of management?
4. Is it the routine?
5. Are you overworked?
6. Could it be about work–life balance?
A good way to make an informed decision is to write down specific triggers that are disengaging you on a daily basis. I suggest you watch yourself diligently over a period of 6 weeks. Every day you need to write down triggers for your feelings. For example – what made you stressed, what caused boredom, what made you happy etc.
Once you have completed this exercise, go through these incidents and look at the common factor that are disengaging you on the professional front. Once you identify these, I am confident that the rest of the attributes will fall into place. You can choose an appropriate course of actions based on the outcome of your exploration. For instance, if it is workplace-related, you could explore new opportunities. If it is the field (CA) itself, you could explore what are your personal strengths and interests. If it is an issue with work–life balance, you could help take breaks.
In addition, the data that you have generated could help you dialogue with the significant stakeholder (manager) on engaging work options. For example, a decision about the mix between client management and back office operations. You could also look at the stretch targets you would like to set for yourself. Sometimes what is missing at the work place is learning opportunity. All these can be easily corrected.
I would advise you not to seek a career change without a comprehensive review. I have noticed that if this step is skipped, the same symptoms repeat in the next move or decision you make.
I wish for you to re discover new possibilities and bring back the joy to your professional life!
Do you have any career concerns that need to be addressed? Click here to send us your questions and get them answered by the experts!
*Photo credit: Bilal Kamoon (Used under the Creative Commons Attribution License.)
Women's Web is a vibrant community for Indian women, an authentic space for us to be ourselves and talk about all things that matter to us. Follow us via the read more...
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
Dear Women’s Web Community Member,
You may have wondered at our being on the quieter side during the last couple of months. Thank you for your patience, and we wanted to come back to you with a detailed note on what’s been happening at our end of things.
When we first began Women’s Web, as a blog from one woman’s desk along with a few like-minded souls, little could we have imagined the heights that it would soar to. Over the years, Women’s Web has published over 20000 stories (almost all by women), empowered countless women with the ideas, community and resources to chase their dreams, employed hundreds of women in core and project-based roles, and in the process, emerged as the OG women’s community in India. It has also inspired many others to build communities of a similar nature, all enabling women (and other-underrepresented groups) in their own ways.
Please enter your email address