Excited about joining your new company, you begin your first day with zeal and enthusiasm. Unfortunately, this enthusiasm is short-lived because you've drawn one of the nastiest surprises in the employment bag of tricks: the job you recently accepted is not what it seemed during the recruitment process. Disappointed, when reality is not in tangent with your expectations, you are at a loss for what to do.

Bad as it is, this is now your world. Can you change the situation around and make it work to your advantage? Well, a friend of mine did just that. Renee Wilson was a research consultant with a growing group of clients and enjoyed lots of personal satisfaction. Then a large, well-known agency approached her and offered a good paying position as a vice president, which she ultimately accepted. Unfortunately, she quickly wound up with a severe case of buyer's remorse.

What were the problems? The work wasn't challenging. In fact, it was downright trivial. To add to that, the agency's culture was all wrong: full of cliques, unfocused, and with a surprising disdain for clients. It wasn't at all what she was used to or expected, and she became unhappy very quickly.

Renee realized that leaving was her best option. Although she did her work conscientiously and even won a couple of awards, she explained as diplomatically as she could the need for her to leave and rationalised that it would probably be best for both the agency and her if she left. She negotiated a small severance agreement and soon landed some good consulting accounts based, in part, on her VP title and the blue-chip clients she had served at the agency. Now, she is back to doing what she did before--and actually a little better off for the experience.

If you are currently in a job and you know that it is simply not working out for you, rest assured that there are some things you can do about the situation.

Control lies in your hands
Always remember that you can direct the situation. It is not unusual to find yourself in a "right person/wrong job" combination; however, job disappointments can arise for all kinds of reasons.

It could be possible that the candidate or the company might not have done enough due diligence before hiring. The company might merge just as the person takes the job. The supervisor might be replaced, or some administrative shakeup might change the job's emphasis.

So how can you prevent or sweeten a sour situation?

When interviewing, don't rely solely on the perspective you get from the people who interview you. Before signing on, talk to others in the organisation and possibly to some of its customers or suppliers.

Set a schedule for yourself if you're seriously thinking of leaving. Even if you decide the job isn't for you, give it at least six months or a year and use that time to decide on your next move. Never let your disappointment lead you to do less than your best. Even if you hate the job, do it well. This will make your departure much happier and avoid any negative baggage that you'll have to carry to your next position.

Talk It Over
If a job isn't working out, talk with your supervisor. When you're fairly sure that the job isn't what you expected, meet with your boss and explain why. The supervisor may simply not understand the day-to-day nature of your work. Once you've expressed your disappointment, your boss may be willing to make changes to accommodate you. If not, at least you know where you stand.

If you do take another job elsewhere, one quick turnover usually won't be held against you -- as long as it's not part of a trend. You will simply have to explain what went wrong in the job you just left and, of course, be very careful not to fall into the same trap all over again -- once bitten, twice shy.

Most importantly, you must remember that at the end of the day, this is only a job. Even if you find yourself without employment for a long duration, your peace of mind and happiness is of ultimate importance. So if you feel that the new working environment is not your cup of tea, then move on and have faith that something better will come your way.

When Reality does not meet the Expectation, pitfalls to watch out for: Your Expectation: Lots of client or customer contact The Reality: A computer screen and endless reports Your Expectation: The A-list, with-it work group The Reality: The C Team Your Expectation: Enough time to do each job well. The Reality: A pressure cooker; far more work than the staff can handle Your Expectation: The warm, friendly boss. The Reality: The supervisor from hell

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