Do you hate your job? Get that sinking feeling on Sunday nights? Are you tempted to throw in the towel and work as a freelancer, or join the army of Australian startup founders and develop your exciting App idea? If you’re crazily nodding your head, one thing’s for sure – you are not alone.

Recent statistics from Pureprofile research show that 43.5% of working Australians say they are either “likely” or “very likely” to look for a new job in 2015.

If you are tempted to resign or a currently looking for a new job, before you do, it may be worth exploring if there’s anything in your current role that can be fixed or adapted to improve your work life balance and career aspirations.

See opportunities, not barriers

Instead of jumping ship right away, why not take a look at what you are currently working on and how it can be positioned or enhanced to become an valuable asset on your resume.

All of a sudden the boring marketing plan you’ve been procrastinating over could be transformed into the perfect case study for demonstrating your expertise to a new company in a new industry of interest.

Using what you currently have to better position yourself for what you really want will give you a new perspective and hopefully energise your efforts for the remaining time in your role.

Ask for what you want

Perhaps it’s not the work that you dislike but your colleagues, your work hours or other conditions. Often when people feel they do not have any control or their boss is unapproachable, they put up with a bad situation until they reach breaking point and quit.

In many cases if they had just been brave enough to have a simple conversation when they started to feel this way, months or even years of unhappiness could have been avoided.

If you feel your boss is unapproachable and the thought of having this conversation makes your stomach churn, here are a few quick steps to make doing so much easier:

• Firstly, book a catch up with your boss outside of the office environment on “neutral territory”.
• Provide a brief outline of the points you’d like discuss prior to the meeting, so you’ve got a clear agenda in your mind and your boss does not feel ambushed.
• Keep your cool while in the meeting. Avoid getting emotional.
• Regardless of the outcome, thank you boss for their time.
• Secretly congratulate yourself! You now know where you stand.

If in fact you are beyond this point and ready to quit right away, then the above is even more important. You’ve got nothing to lose by having an open and honest conversation with your boss and everything to gain from preserving the relationship should you need it in the future.

Preserve your reputation

As the saying goes, the grass is always greener on the other side. Never rule out the possibility of wanting to one day return to your former role.

To ensure the door is always open to you, it’s critical to leave with your head held high and your reputation in tact. Follow these simple actions:

• Consider your boss’ perspective when you resign and hold off telling anyone until you have discussed a communication and handover plan with them.
• Create the least amount of disruption to the business by giving plenty of notice, handing over effectively and smoothing the way for cohesive team relationships. When briefing your replacement, honour people’s strengths and avoid putting the team or the company down.
• Tie up all loose ends by completing your work, conducting your exit interview and saying goodbye to your colleagues in person with a firm handshake.
• Show gratitude to everyone, and particularly those who have helped you along the way. Swap details so you can stay in touch.

Finally, in the words of Anchorman himself, “Stay classy San Diego!”, your professional network is one of the greatest assets you have in your career, always protect and nurture it.

Have you been able to turn a negative work situation into a positive one in the past? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below!