Dead-end job depression (A complete guide)

In this blog guide, we will try to answer the question ‘Can dead-end jobs cause depression?’ The blog will continue with what is a dead-end job, signs of a dead-end job, and how to deal with a dead-end job.  

Can dead-end jobs cause depression? 

In simple words, yes dead-end job can cause depression. 

Our work is the most crucial part of our life. We spend a maximum number of hours in a day working and building our careers. Therefore it is important that our hard work pays off. If you are currently working in a dead-end job, you would understand that it can cause extreme stress and leave you unsatisfied. Job satisfaction can keep a person happy and sound. 

Imagine you have to feed a family of four children, but your career does not go anywhere. You are stuck in the same position with the same salary. It gives you no chance of growth or opportunity to discover something new. The same mundane 5-6 hours of job every single day of your life can make your life miserable. 

All of us want work that provides more than just a paycheck. We want to make a difference. We want to feel appreciated. We want to be challenged. Most important, we want to know our hard work today is building toward a concrete goal. Maybe that means a pay raise, greater responsibility, more satisfying assignments — better yet, all of the above.

A study by Ohio State University found that job satisfaction in the early years plays an important role in health during the later years. Not only does it impact physical health, but has a stronger impact on mental health. 

Another American study found out that mental health is the most affected with low or no job satisfaction. They reported higher levels of depression, sleep problems, and excessive worry and were more likely to have been diagnosed with emotional problems and scored lower on a test of overall mental health.

Therefore it is quite evident that a dead-end job can certainly cause depression. Having to lead life knowing that there is no career development or no chance of any improvement in your financial condition, can lead to depression. 

What is a dead-end job? 

Now that we know the psychological impacts of a dead-end job. We need to first understand what does a dead-end job mean? Are all jobs dead-end jobs? 

A dead-end job is a kind of job, where the individual has no agency for career development or any progress in life. If they were employed for a single job, they will end up with the same job after 5 years. They will not be promoted or taught something new. They are exactly at the same point where they started out in the first place. 

It is a human tendency to hope for great achievements and success in life. We look forward to progression and development. But with a dead-end job, this desire is left unfulfilled. In the event that an individual requires further training to advance inside their firm that is hard to acquire under any conditions, this can bring about the occupation being named a dead-end job. 

In addition, dead-end jobs are usually considered to be unskilled. Therefore various unskilled occupations like shelf stackers, cleaners, call center agents, clerks, or in other menial jobs where the pay is low, and the hours are long are considered to be dead-end jobs. Besides, these jobs that are categorized as menial or unskilled, jobs with few opportunities for advancement, such as working in a small firm are called dead-end jobs. 

It might come to our surprise that the number of dead-end jobs around us more than we could imagine. For example. Think of the street food vendor below your house, or the maid working in your house, the vegetable vendor whom you buy vegetables from, the person working with your father in his small business, and the list goes on. 

These people wake up every day to do the same job knowing that they are not going to be promoted or pushed higher the chain of employment. They are working in a dead-end job. 

Signs you are in a dead-end job 

How do we know that we are currently in a dead-end job? There are several people you fail to understand that they are working in a dead-end job. Many people do not realize this when they are recruited by a company. Sometimes we are so happy about the job offer that we forget to understand if the job leaves us with the space for career development or not. 

Here are a few signs that will show you are in a dead-end job. 

Your ideas are ignored 

Has it ever happened to you, that you suggest an idea or a change in the company for the advancement or better result, but you are asked to shut up and no one is interested in you? If this has happened to you more than once, you need to realize you are probably working in a dead-end job. It is not wrong to be rejected. People can reject your idea and thoughts as they have their own. But if this happens to you every time, even if your idea was actually for a better result, you are walking towards a dead end. 

You have a fixed and unnoticed job description

If you have a job, where you do the same thing every day, with no change whatsoever, yours is a dead end job. If you are not given the opportunity to learn or try out new roles and responsibilities, you are not given the agency to grow in your field.  In addition, if it so happens that your job is not very important for the company, your manager or the leader will not care about it. Most of your work will go unnoticed and unpraised. This can decrease motivation. A fixed and unnoticed job description is your red flag. 

You are shoved with unwanted work 

If your manager is piling up your desk with all the work he does not want to do, he is not looking for your development. Instead, he is merely using you to get his work done. This way all you will have is a load of work and no learning or development per se. Most of your day will go with finishing all the work. All the work you do is also not wanted by the people of the company. They start to take your work for granted. 

Your motivation starts to drop 

Another major red flag is this. If you wake up everyday morning dreading the fact that you have to go to work, or you just want to take sick leaves for no reason whatsoever, it means that your motivation is dropping. Loss of motivation is the direct result of job dissatisfaction. If you feel that your job is not providing you with what you desired you may start to feel averted by it. You may not want to go to the office. This increases your rate of absenteeism – a direct sign of lack of motivation. 

In addition to the above mentioned major signs, here is a list of a few minor signs that you are currently working in a dead-end job 

• There are more baffled employees like you hoping to climb in your association than there are occasions to do as such. 
• For reasons like political issues, latency, your administrator’s dread of your developing fire, or something different you can see that your present place of employment is the most noteworthy and most intriguing position you will get in your organization. 
• You check out you and see that your association doesn’t move individuals up or permit them to grow their jobs. 
• At the point when you talk with your administrator about your expert development and advancement, the person doesn’t tune in and couldn’t care less. 
• Individuals come in and go every which way in your association constantly. The pioneers have acknowledged the way that the organization is a spinning entryway. 
• At the point when you imagine yourself working at your present place of employment one year from now, you don’t see anything evolving.

How to deal with a dead-end job depression? 

Figure out what you want 

If you are not happy with your current job for the reason that it is leading to no career development, the first thing you do is look for something that you are interested in or that benefits you. It is important that you sort out things thing in your mind first before making any actual move. Knowing what you want to do, will only make it easy for you to find a better job, or even talk to your manager. Self-awareness is important. It’s essential to identify what fulfills you before you start interviewing for a new job. This will give you more clarity during your job search and help you avoid taking another dead-end job.

Make a lateral move 

Even if you decide to not leave your organization, you can look for roles that interest you in the same organization. If you work in the network department, you can also ask your, manager, to give you a role in the HR department. Doing so you can explore as well show your capabilities. There might be chances that your manager might be impressed and offer you a promotion. 

Talk to your boss

If you are disappointed with your job satisfaction, you should go up to your boss and talk to them. Tell them about your concerns and desires. Ask them to change the course of action and understand what they have to say. However, make sure that you are prepared for what you want. Identify what success means to you and think about your career values and your ideal work environment. Write down a list of things you want to have in a job, considering what you like and dislike about your current or previous jobs and reflecting on your passions and interests. Communicate with your employers with this preparation. 

Look for a new job 

If nothing works out, you can look for a new job. Leave your previous job and look for a job that now satisfies your needs and wants. Make sure you are well aware of the position and the roles attached to it. Learn about the job and make a wise decision so you do not end up with a dead-end job again. Follow your interests and passion. Do not settle for any other work. 

Conclusion 

In this blog guide, we have tried to answer the question ‘Can dead-end jobs cause depression?’ The blog continued with what is a dead-end job, signs of a dead-end job, and how to deal with a dead-end job.  

FAQs: Dead-end job depression

References 

https://www.roberthalf.com/blog/job-market/6-signs-youre-stuck-in-a-dead-end-job

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fixing-families/201510/dealing-the-dead-end-job

https://www.newsletter.co.uk/business/dead-end-jobs-are-bad-your-health-769004