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It’s totally normal for people to end up getting trapped in a job that they don’t enjoy. Whether it’s because the job is dull, it offers no real satisfaction, or simply because your boss and coworkers are unpleasant and frustrating to be around, an unpleasant job can make your life a living nightmare. Of course, when you’re in that kind of situation you have two choices. You can either spend all of your time feeling miserable and wishing that you could be doing something else. Or you could get out there into the world and find something better to do with your time. It might not be easy to do this, but it’s always the better option. With that in mind, here are a few ways to take your career back into your own hands.

Start actively looking

Far too often people end up hating their jobs, but all they do is sit around waiting for something better to fall into their lap. If you’re doing that, let me save you some time. It’s never going to happen! Sorry to say it but if you want to find a better job, it’s up to you to go out and actually look for it. Luckily, it’s never been easier to do that. There are plenty of services out there that allow you to find the best possible career opportunities within specific areas as quickly as possible. The act of finding and applying for jobs really has never been easier than it is right now. Make sure that you’re taking as much care as possible to look for the right job at every opportunity.

Improve your resume

Of course, it won’t matter how many jobs you find and apply for if your resume isn’t putting your best foot forward. Far too often people start applying for jobs when their resume is “good enough.” The truth is that, in today’s hyper-competitive job market, “good enough” simply isn’t good enough. You need to have a resume that’s going to really amaze potential employers and help you stand out from the crowd. And the only way that you’re going to be able to do this is to think as carefully as possible about what they might be looking for and then to tailor it towards them.

Hone your skills

Then again, if you don’t have that much to put on your resume, then it’s never going to be as impressive as it could be. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to take this time to develop new skills and hone the ones that you already have. That way, you might be working at a job you find pointless, but at least you can take comfort in the fact that you know you’re working towards something. Otherwise you might want to retrain entirely. Whether it’s a public safety degree, and online masters in business management, or something completely different, if you want to do something different, you need the right skills. Just make sure that you’re not taking on too much when both working and training.

Sure, the idea of trying to find a new job while working one already can be pretty exhausting, but the truth is that no one ever got anywhere in life by taking the easy route. If you really want to be happy in your career, then you can’t get away with coasting along doing the bare minimum. What you get out of your life and career will always depend on what you’re willing to put into those things.