Nearly everyone has suffered this at least once in his career—the boss
who makes each workday a living terror. You can find the Boss From Hell
in any industry or occupation. Even the best companies slip up from
time to time, allowing bullies to rise through the employment food
chain to management.

Nearly everyone has suffered this at least once in his career—the boss
who makes each workday a living terror. You can find the Boss From Hell
in any industry or occupation. Even the best companies slip up from
time to time, allowing bullies to rise through the employment food
chain to management.

If a national survey were taken to find out the reasons people change
jobs, by far the number one reason for job dissatisfaction would be bad
management. As a career coach, surprisingly, I’ve found that increased
earning potential usually ranks far below the desire to leave a mean,
unreasonable boss. If you wake up each day dreading the next eight to
ten hours, your problem might be your supervisor.

You’re working for the Boss From Hell if:

• He (or she) bullies you and your coworkers with threats and
  temper tantrums.
• His unpredictable moods keeps the office environment constantly
  tense and second-guessing his next move.
• He sets unrealistic and unattainable goals.
• You live in constant fear of being fired.

Fear and intimidation never motivate employees to excel. Tyrannical
supervisors create an atmosphere of distrust and isolation. If you work
for someone like this, your confidence is probably not what it used to
be. In fact, you are probably second-guessing your decisions on the job
constantly. As long as you work for management that rules by fear,
you’ll never reach your career and earning potential.

There are three steps to escape the Boss From Hell and move on to a
happier, healthier work place.

Fear in the workplace tends to leave people thinking they have no
better options than to stick it out. Such thinking is a result of loss
of confidence and the inability to see beyond the present distress. One
way to gain perspective and see new options is to spend some time
browsing job postings. The right direction might be within another
department or division of your current employer, but away from your
current boss. Or it might be somewhere else altogether. If you keep an
open mind, you’ll see that there are many options for you outside of
your current job.

One way to get the most out of this career reconnaissance is to search
for job postings based on skills rather than job titles. Do a
job-skills self-analysis to identify the tasks and activities you enjoy
performing on your job. Use those skills as your search terms at online
job boards. You may be surprised to see that you qualify for positions
you had not thought of before.

In order to get moving toward a new position you’ll need to regain your
confidence. Think about, and then write down, situations of where you:

• Came up with an idea for saving time
• Helped your team reach a production goal
• Identified cost savings opportunities
• Solved a customer problem leading to increased customer
  satisfaction

As you think back on your accomplishments, you’ll begin to realize the
value you have added to your company. Remember, other employers have
similar problems to solve. They are looking for candidates who have
experience in handling difficult situations. The more specific the
examples of your accomplishments are, the more marketable you will be
in the job market.

Once you have your accomplishments listed, use them to update your
resume. Think of your resume as your initial marketing tool; it should
announce to potential employers your ability to help them reach their
bottom-line corporate goals. For example, your resume should appeal to
potential employers’ desire to increase efficiency, cut costs and
improve productivity. When employers see what you can do for them,
they’re sure to be impressed.

Your resume should also have a clear career focus. Updating your resume
doesn’t mean simply adding your current work history to your old resume
format. Without a careful resume strategy, your resume will begin to
resemble an old house with too many tacked on additions. Make sure your
resume presents a cohesive, well-thought out, professional front.

Additionally, if your career has taken several interesting turns,
you’ll want to adjust your resume toward your current focus. Take the
time to refocus your resume on your current job search. Highlight the
items from your career that are relevant, and minimize the things that
are no longer relevant.

Once you have invested the time to gain perspective on your career
options, take inventory of your accomplishments, and update your
resume, you’ll be mentally and emotionally ready to seek other
employment opportunities, either within or outside your current
company. You don’t have to remain in an unhappy job. You do have
choices. Take the steps to help yourself—you’ll be glad you did!

Deborah Walker is a Certified Career Management Coach. She can
be reached at Deb@Alphaadvantage.com

Read more career tips and see sample resumes at: www.AlphaAdvantage.com