Posted by denised in For the second time in my career, I found myself in the unenviable position of having to deal with a really bad boss at a time in the economy when finding a new job seemed like a long shot. For most of us, no matter how bad the boss is, looking for a new job when unemployment rates are at record highs is not a wise move. You’re competing with the newly laid off and new graduates, and you never know if, God forbid, you’ll be trading in a really bad boss for a really, really bad one.
I stayed with my really bad boss for a couple of years. But in the end, after a lot of hard work and smart job hunting, I did eventually leave the boss I now refer to as the Troll. Along the way I collected my share of hard knocks. There were days when things were so bad that at the end of the day I’d collapse in tears, too mentally and physically drained to even eat. And lets be clear – me not eating is like 90 degree weather in Alaska – its very rare and demands immediate investigation. My family and friends got me through the roughest times and when I realized I would have to stay in those jobs longer than I’d wanted to, I decided that if I had to stay, I’d learn as much as possible while I was there.
As my bosses piled assignment after assignment on me, in areas outside of my field of expertise, I scoured the Internet, signed up for online courses and learned whatever I needed to. I worked for an international company that offered free language classes online – so I took them. When I was tapped to develop training materials in an area in which I had little experience, I called friends and former colleagues who offered great advice and assistance.
As for my mental well being – I found that as I focused more on the invaluable experience I was gaining, and less on the Troll who was running the company, my days went by quicker and I began to enjoy my evenings and weekends again. In the end I was able to use everything I learned working for the Troll to secure my next position. During the interview when I was asked if I had experience doing thing ‘A’, I was able to say, “Interestingly enough, while thing ‘A’ wasn’t in my original job description, I stepped up to the plate, got the training I needed and have been performing ‘A’ successfully for the past year.” Being able to confidently say that during my interview was the cake…getting a job offer shortly after was the icing.
How are you coping with a really bad boss? Share your coping strategies with us in the comment section.
This article was originally posted on 4/09
