1. Be realistic Many experts advise not to quit your job without another one on hand because you are lucky to have one, even if you hate it. But Darcy Eikenberg, president and CEO of Coach Darcy LLC, says you shouldn't buy into the myth that there are no jobs out there. "Stuck is just a perception, not a reality," she says. "You're never really stuck until there are no more options and you'll never know what the options are until you start exploring them." 2. Change your attitude Look at your job as the launching pad to your next position instead of as a hindrance. "You'll only be able to give it your best if you can convince yourself of the value it offers your life," says Debra Yergen, author of "Creating Job Security Resource Guide." It pays the rent, gives you benefits, allows you to meet new people and enables you to enhance your skills. 3. Discover the hidden opportunities "There is something you prefer to do and you do it really well. Define it, do it successfully and make sure it is something you do better than anyone else; it is your value-added insurance," says Gladys Kartin, career strategist. 4. Find the good in it When work isn't going well, it's easy to dwell on the parts of the job you don't like. "At some point in time, a person probably liked his job and those are the things he should focus on. Whether it was a task, a co-worker, a meeting or a training session, try to nurture those parts of the job and find ways to incorporate them more into your daily routine," suggests Sharlyn Lauby, SPHR, CPLP. 5. Figure out what you don't like If you're in a job hate, the most important thing to do is identify why you hate the job -- once you do that, you'll see what's missing for you to better tolerate the situation. You don't want to repeat this cycle in your next position, says Caela Farren, author of "Who's Running Your Career." 6. Focus on the aspects you like -- even if it's just a paycheck "There is opportunity in every adversity and if you don't see that, you will most likely recreate another dead-end job," says Dr. Nancy Irwin, speaker and author. Write down a list of the things you do enjoy about it and find ways to do more of those things. There has to be something about the job that you like, or used to like, otherwise you wouldn't have accepted the job in the first place. 7. Invest in yourself Go to night school to pursue your passion. Hire a life coach; take a class; pursue your hobbies. "No economy will ever be able to drain the value of investments you make in strengthening your talents and abilities," Eikenberg says. 8. Network "You're probably not the only person who hates his or her job, and you're probably not the first person to have bailed," says Martha Finney, author of "Rebound: A Proven Plan for Starting Over After Job Loss." "All those people who you once worked with and who are now out there in a variety of companies in your community or industry, you have multiple networks now to thoroughly explore." 9. Seek out cross-training opportunities Many workers want to change jobs because they aren't challenged anymore -- finding new prospects fixes that. "Learning new skills or technologies, meeting new people and facing new challenges are great ways to keep your mind off the fact that you aren't in love with your job," says Lauren Milligan of ResuMAYDAY.com. 10. Volunteer Find out about opportunities at your company where you can donate your time. "Is there a task force that is looking for assistance? Is there a committee to improve something? Request to be on it. By engaging in something that excites you, your mood will change and you might even get a different job within that company," says Kate Nasser, a people-skills coach.
