Advice from Babe to Babe

This week, the BWH Advice Gurus have an especially spot-on collection of advice on what to do when you just aren’t feeling that 9-5 anymore. Soak in their wisdom and keep us posted on what you do to stay inspired in the workplace by using the hashtag #babeswhohustle on Instagram and Facebook.

I think you first need to ask yourself: Are these phases of being completely drained, unmotivated and uninspired? Or are you just drained, unmotivated and uninspired?

If you think it’s something you can work through, I’d recommend taking some time off (even a single personal day) to recharge. During this time write a list of what in your job is making you feel drained, and another list of what would make you feel more inspired. Can you drop draining tasks and responsibilities and pick up more inspiring ones? It may be worth a chat with your boss to see.

If there’s seemingly no solution here and it is a bigger problem, it’s time for another list! Write down what you’d want to do as a career if location, money or anything else wasn’t a factor. Then, think through how you can make one of those happen. This isn’t magical voodoo stuff. It’s just how-can-I-grind-and-make-a-life-for-myself-that-I-love stuff.

I hope you’re able to make some tweaks and get out of your funk! Life is too short for that, sis.

—KAYLA BECKMANN BARNHART, CONTRIBUTOR + BABE #85

Me-time! I sometimes take a personal day to nap with my cat and walk my dog and enjoy the sunshine. If that doesn’t work, I pretend go through the process of applying to a different job so I can remember all the things I love about my nine-to-five. And if that doesn’t work, then it’s time for a change in career—which is also an OK answer. If the job I’m pretend-applying for excites me more than my nine-to-five, it’s time to update the resume and pursue it.

—THAIS LAGE, BABE #151

Usually when I’m in this mental state it’s due to being too comfortable or not working on projects I feel super-passionate about. The fix I’ve tried to implement in the past (and I’m definitely still working on this) is to ask my manager for tasks that better align with my interests, challenge myself by taking on side projects or learning a new skill, and overall just finding ways to switch up my usual daily routine so it doesn’t feel so uninspiring.

—HEALY DWYER, CONTRIBUTOR

I partially created Babes Who Hustle for this reason, as a way to dive into my creative side, write about things I wanted to write about (as opposed to the technical writing I do in my nine-to-five), and pursue work I feel passionate about with the skills I have. I realize not everyone has the time and resources to do the same, but I'd suggest some soul-searching to figure out ways you can use the time you have outside of your day job to pursue things that fill the void(s) your job is lacking—before just throwing in the towel and quitting. Maybe this doesn't go as far as accidentally starting a company, but instead results in picking up a hobby like yoga, barre or painting. (If you can't allocate funds toward exercise, there are tons of great free options on YouTube!)

—CHELSEA DUDEVOIRE, BWH FOUNDER + CEO

Hiring managers like to have as much information as possible about their candidates, including their timeline, interests and needs. If the team you’re interviewing with asks if your search is still open to other opportunities, they will appreciate your transparency. That being said, it’s a balance. If the hiring manager doesn’t ask about where you are in your search, but they know you’re between jobs or actively searching, they can put it together that they are not the only company you’re meeting with. Think of it like this—just as you wouldn’t spend a significant portion of a first date talking about the other dates you’ve been on this week, I don’t suggest coming out of the gates talking about all the interviews you’ve been on this week.

—ALISSA MCSHANE, CONTRIBUTOR

I’ve always found it’s best to be as honest as possible. I was interviewing for my dream job—but I also had a couple other places I was talking to. I was honest with them that they were my number-one choice throughout the process. When I got another offer, it didn’t come as a surprise and my dream job was ready to pull the trigger and send me a counter offer. If I hadn’t have been up-front, I doubt they would have been able to pull together things in time.

—MANDY SHOLD, CONTRIBUTOR + BABE #154

Until Next Week,

—THE BWH ADVICE GURUS

About:

Asking for a Friend is Babes Who Hustle's weekly advice column that asks and answers the work-related questions on all of our minds. Looking for advice and guidance? Hit us with all of your questions below and stay tuned for next Wednesday's edition!