I need the advice of well-meaning nairalanders. I presently work in a multinational company that pays me about 210k per month excluding other mouth watering allowances such as bonuses, transport allowance, housing allowance, leave allowance, free food, etc. but the problem is that I don't like my particular job. I have tried to change departments but to no avail. my present job specification limits my career exposure and is too routine for my liking. i want a more challenging and dynamic role in the organization, but this has not been successful. though there are career prospects within the company, i don't really enjoy job satisfaction, i.e I am not totally happy with my job.

I thought of resigning after saving some amount of money, or going back to school but I am scared stiff because of the precarious unemployment rate in Nigeria, considering the fact that age is no longer totally on my side in the Nigeria labour market (am close to 30 though i am single). i want to seek advice from well meaning and exposed nairalanders on how to handle the situation at hand.

Should I resign and pursue my happiness even if the risk is high, or should I be contented with the job, despite being unhappy?

I don't know, why are you not satisfy with your job. It's a multi-national company paying you too much and with more other facility. No one doing job to enjoy there-self. But you are one, who wanna do job to enjoy yourself.
That company has recruit you for the special purpose, and you should think about it, when you'd joined that MNC.
So here i just recommend you to don't give resign for just your happiness. you can not get scarification at any other company after leaving it. But if you don't wanna do job and just wanna enjoy your life, then can give resign.

You have a very interesting problem which I can actually connect to because I am in such a situation too. I think your worries come from the fact that you cant see any real prospects of growth and career advancement in your current job. I dont know if you are a believer but I am quite sure you did not get that job by shear luck. The same God that gave you that job has greater plans for you ahead only if you stay connected to Him. Dont disappoint God by quitting this job which is what the enemy wants to achieve. Every job comes with challenges.

What you need is to pray and ask God to help you and also teach you what you need to take away from the present experience.

Finally, do not restrict yourself to your job alone, as I am quite sure the routine nature of your job would afford you extra time for more extensive knowledge acqusition.

Why don't you pick up a hobby on the side?
Something to give you the satisfaction that your job doesn't. Sometimes dissatisfaction may be as a result of boredom. Find something outside work that you feel you might like, and pick it up as a hobby. Could be anything from tennis to forex trading.

I know someone who resigned from his job at an MNC, when he realised that he was worth over N200m in various diversified investments. He quit to set up his own investment company. He picked up investing in his spare time, mind you.

Life is about taking risks and if you're not satisfied with the job it is better you quit because it is as if your doing nothing the moment you do something you do not appreciate personally. Try to invest the little you have saved instead of going back to training.

AjanleKoko:

Why don't you pick up a hobby on the side?
Something to give you the satisfaction that your job doesn't. Sometimes dissatisfaction may be as a result of boredom. Find something outside work that you feel you might like, and pick it up as a hobby. Could be anything from tennis to forex trading.

I know someone who resigned from his job at an MNC, when he realised that he was worth over N200m in various diversified investments. He quit to set up his own investment company. He picked up investing in his spare time, mind you.

In addition, the OP can keep developing himself while in his current position.

I beg you my brother quit the job very fast. By the time you quit the job, because you are having anxious moments about job satisfaction, someone will replace you immediately. Dont forget that there are millions out there roaming the streets daily to get a job, I mean any job. You have a job and you are well paid, and yet you are fretting about job satisfaction? Why dont you start an online business you can do in your spare time or if you have a trusted person, say your sister, start a viable business and let her manage it on your behalf, and you pay her monthly. If you still wish to resign, please kindly arrange for me to replace you.

Please, don't listen to the devils asking you to quit! That will be the biggest mistake of your life. Wait and be patient while you continue a low-key job search, in the meantime, find a hobby to keep you engaged. Good luck!

Poster, i wanted to criticize you before i remembered i complain of similar thing. This is common with working with a big multinationals, it is easier to rise in a one man business or local companies than these big multinationals. Do not resign, endure it because of the income and those you support with it. Go for part time post graduate qualifications; Masters etc it increases your qualifications then start dropping your cvs in similar multinationals. Also look for a good viable business you can invest it in, nothing like a multiple income. Cultivate the habit of saving and tie down some property with your money. All these are exit plans, the income is an advantage to you so make good use of it for no one knows tomorrow.

plz dont act too fast. But have a plan. Thank U

Do the best and the worst analysis of the risk of quiting your job, that is, what is the best thing or the worst thing that could happen if you quit the job. You can quit the Job, but let there must be a transition plan on ground, save a huge amount in your account. Try to tie down your money, like acquiring land, if it is possible, take this decision before you get married . Then pursue your joy. Late Archbishop idahosa said" it is too risky not to take a risk". Then the great question: has God told you to quit? If you cannot get a clear answer, then take the risk. It may be the best decision. God bless you. God2man.

@OP
If you are Yoruba, the following saying should appeal to you:
Ori bibe ko ni oogun ori fifo. This translates to - "Beheading is not the cure for headache"

Some people are in worse situations doing jobs they don't like and being paid peanuts for same. Your situation is better and it will be good if you make the best out of it. Have you spoken to your manager about getting more responsibility? Sometimes you just need to ask. Are you also very good at what you do right now and have you been putting good efforts? People notice these things and if you have been docile and just collecting salaries at the end of the month, then you will be setting yourself up for failure.

I will also advise that you sniff around for possible redeployment within the organization - that will be easier if you are making the best use of the present opportunity. Try your hands on certifications and as some said, find something to do in your spare time.
Cheers.

How abt developing urself personally,some evening courses or weekend courses,cuz if u resign,hmmmmmm dat will be deadly.though if u have always been lucky and ur qualification is what nigeria labour market nids right nw,then u can.if nt,be there.Goodluck

kiss transformer,,,,,,,,,

I agree with you that job is not all about money. Job satisfaction is equally important because it brings joy and happiness. Doing what you don't like, especially when it is a routine can lead to frustration. However, resigning might not be your best option, especially if you do not have other sources of income. But then life is all about risk. I have seen people who were in your shoes and resigned only to get a better one after few months and I have seen people who quit and bite fingers of regret. Weigh your options. I will advise you hang on a little more while you explore your other areas of interest in other companies, not necessarily MNC.

I agree with you that job is not all about money. Job satisfaction is equally important because it brings joy and happiness.  Doing what you don't like, especially when it is a routine can lead to frustration. However, resigning might not be your best option, especially if you do not have other sources of income. But then life is all about risk. I have seen people who were in your shoes and resigned only to get a better one after few months and I have seen people who quit and bite fingers of regret. Weigh your options. I will advise you hang on a little more while you explore your other areas of interest in other companies, not necessarily MNC.

I'm very happy reading through all the comments, being the first time that all the comments posted make so much sense to me. God bless you all.
What more can I say than to advise the poster to stick to all the advise given already and to support it with prayer. Because with God on your side you can be moved to other more challenging department/Unit.

My Bro you seem like someone I might know. (same age, somewhat similar issues)

At times we have to differentiate between doing something for the love of it and doing something to pay the bills. Unless you have your next move well cut out, bro you wanna stick to what you've got. It's like the movie 'social network'. Mark didn't return to school to complete his degree only because he found something he really believed in for good reasons. However his friend and early financier didn't have the same conviction and took a different path.

Leaving a good paying job these days just to further one's education when you don't plan on stopping at PhD and going into lecturing, or furthering in a seriously top notch university (Havard, Imperial Collg, etc) in a highly south after discipline, is just a game of numbers. And believe me the odds are not really stacked in your favour. But if you insist why not wait enough until you can get a study leave or something, that's still better.

I think life is never fun without taking risks, but you wanna really calculate those risks and minimise the room for error. cheers.

Have u thot of setting up your own company/business? This will afford you enough time to do other stuff you've always wanted to do. So just before you quit, make sure you've being able to save a reasonable amount of money, have a good plan of what you'll do afterwards and then you can give it a try. The thing with doing routine jobs you dont enjoy is that you may look back years later and realise you havnt really achieved anything but just spent a better part of your life doing almost nothing.

Another way to look at it is: what if for some reason, you get laid off unexpectedly Will ur exposure and experience so far get you a better offer?

Try going broke for a while (hopefully not permanently).

That will speed up your maturity and re-do your priorities automatically.

AjanleKoko:

Why don't you pick up a hobby on the side?
Something to give you the satisfaction that your job doesn't. Sometimes dissatisfaction may be as a result of boredom. Find something outside work that you feel you might like, and pick it up as a hobby. Could be anything from tennis to forex trading.

Great one, egbon. That's exactly my strategy too.

I am also doing Accounting job, though good paying, but I have never liked and still don't like accounting.

I do a lot of other things by the side, most not bringing income but satisfaction.

I know I enjoy writing, so I do writing as a hobby, analyse economic and political issues and send them for publication in newspapers. Though I don't make money from it, I have made name and contacts from it(I now relate one-on-one with top editors and a governor), a network that can be useful in the future.

That's how I have turned my hobby into my source of satisfaction while my quite boring accounting job gives settles my bills. And disinterested as I am in this Accounting thing, I wrote ICAN and qualified. Yet, it's still not my desired career path, just did it to boost my CV and diversify my experience.

Notwithstanding, you must do your current job with the required diligence.

There are millions of Nigerians who have VERY ROUTINE DAYS filling job applications and walking up and down the street with no money in the pocket. I do not want to talk about many that stop me daily asking for money, or several of my old friends who are jobless who call me EVERYDAY for job.

So OP, if you are tired of your job, you can exchange your routine job that pays you six-digit figures, for another routine job of filling applications with no pay attached.

Choose.

I'll advise you to keep your present job but try and find out the skill set required for the positions you are really interested in. After doing this see if it is possible to go for weekend classes or training programs to develop your skills in these areas. Develop yourself and re-apply for those positions you like in your workplace; if they still do not consider you then you might need to start applying for such posts outside your office, while you are still working.
Important: Please and please do not resign your appointment without having an alternative offer (I have made that mistake before, and trust me, you don't want to go there), even starting a business is not as easy as it sounds because it takes time. If on the other hand you want to start a business, then make sure you take your time to learn the basics and be cautious. If you have money and don't know how to spend it, I can guarantee you there are so many people waiting to collect t hat money from you. All the best.

The problem is most people follow money instead of passion. Do what you enjoy doing and have passion for, you wouldn't have to work for the rest of your life whilst getting paid.

^^^Succintly said.

denzel2009:

The problem is most people follow money instead of passion. Do what you enjoy doing and have passion for, you wouldn't have to work for the rest of your life whilst getting paid.

In theory yes.
But how many people will have that luxury, given today's shrinking economy, and increased population of job-seekers?

I don't really know about the 'do what you love' thing.
If you ask most people, I am sure what they love doing most, is doing nothing
I prefer the 'love what you do' paradigm, else you may just end up frustrating yourself. Work is hard, and not meant to be 'enjoyed', like you would enjoy eating an ice cream or something . Whether you are an investment banker or carpenter, you need to work hard to achieve personal goals, and personal satisfaction comes from achieving personal goals.

When you look really closely at the OP's initial post, his real issue is not boredom, but lack of fulfilment of personal goals. See below:

Feex:

I presently work in a multinational company that pays me about 210k per month excluding other mouth watering allowances such as bonuses, transport allowance, housing allowance, leave allowance, free food, etc. but the problem is that I don't like my particular job. I have tried to change departments but to no avail. my present job specification limits my career exposure and is too routine for my liking. i want a more challenging and dynamic role in the organization, but this has not been successful. though there are career prospects within the company, i don't really enjoy job satisfaction, i.e I am not totally happy with my job.

Maybe we should ask OP what the job is. It's obviously not a a specialist position.

@ OP
take some time of your work, probably your annual leave.
Think about what will give u satisfaction and what it takes to get such a thing.
weigh all options prayerfully and go for the right choice

AjanleKoko:

In theory yes.
But how many people will have that luxury, given today's shrinking economy, and increased population of job-seekers?

I don't really know about the 'do what you love' thing.
If you ask most people, I am sure what they love doing most, is doing nothing
I prefer the 'love what you do' paradigm, else you may just end up frustrating yourself. Work is hard, and not meant to be 'enjoyed', like you would enjoy eating an ice cream or something . Whether you are an investment banker or carpenter, you need to work hard to achieve personal goals, and personal satisfaction comes from achieving personal goals.

When you look really closely at the OP's initial post, his real issue is not boredom, but lack of fulfilment of personal goals. See below:

Maybe we should ask OP what the job is. It's obviously not a a specialist position.

I understand you sir. It's just that in Nigeria we gravitate towards money easily at the detriment of passion. You can actually work hard and enjoy it, ask those who specialize like in IT or Artisans like plumbers. Parents too are at fault, cos they tend to dictate what they they want their ward to do which leads to this case most of the time.

Like you earlier said about the guy who picked up investment as a hobby, don't you think he is working hard doing what he enjoys and getting paid?

And, when you don't enjoy what you do, you get bored.

denzel2009:

I understand you sir. It's just that in Nigeria we gravitate towards money easily at the detriment of passion. You can actually work hard and enjoy it, ask those who specialize like in IT or Artisans like plumbers. Parents too are at fault, cos they tend to dictate what they they want their ward to do which leads to this case most of the time.

Like you earlier said about the guy who picked up investment as a hobby, don't you think he is working hard doing what he enjoys and getting paid?

And, when you don't enjoy what you do, you get bored.

denzel, everybody everywhere gravitates towards money. Else we would all be working for nonprofits, as volunteers

On this Career board, most of the most popular contributors who are based abroad, are into investment banking. I am sure they 'love' the profession, primarily because of the big bucks and prestige involved. Nothing wrong in choosing a career for money.

However, for some people, they start out doing something, and later gravitate towards something different, that offers more money or more fulfillment, or both. The one thing I have observed about us Nigerians, especially from reading topics on this board, is that people get impatient very easily once something is not exactly what we thought. That seems to be borne out of a lack of career goals by most, which might tie in with your comments, especially the one about parents dictating careers to their children. When you don't know where you wanna go, then you will feel like you're going nowhere, period.

I am sure the OP has not worked for more than 5 years at this job. Maybe he should start to look at what exactly he wants to do in life, and where he wants his career to go. Sometimes, not wanting what you have might just be translating to wanting nothing in particular.

I want to thank you all 4 ur contributions so far. I have gained a lot. My job is a specialty job. there is even a professional certification for the job which the company will sponsor. but i am not particularly interested in dat professional line, despite the pay. the job has its technical challenges but dat is not d type of challenge i will like given my academic qualifications. besides it is not dynamic and versatile enough. i have spent less than a yr in d coy, and i ve bin saving. crossing to anoda dept of my choice is very, very difficult, almost impossible (nobody has done it before). I need more advice please. thanks a lot

AjanleKoko:

denzel, everybody everywhere gravitates towards money. Else we would all be working for nonprofits, as volunteers

On this Career board, most of the most popular contributors who are based abroad, are into investment banking. I am sure they 'love' the profession, primarily because of the big bucks and prestige involved. Nothing wrong in choosing a career for money.

However, for some people, they start out doing something, and later gravitate towards something different, that offers more money or more fulfillment, or both. The one thing I have observed about us Nigerians, especially from reading topics on this board, is that people get impatient very easily once something is not exactly what we thought. That seems to be borne out of a lack of career goals by most, which might tie in with your comments, especially the one about parents dictating careers to their children. When you don't know where you wanna go, then you will feel like you're going nowhere, period.

I am sure the OP has not worked for more than 5 years at this job. Maybe he should start to look at what exactly he wants to do in life, and where he wants his career to go. Sometimes, not wanting what you have might just be translating to wanting nothing in particular.

I agree with you.