While I'm all for making the most of your position, and not defining yourself by your job, I have to disagree that most jobs are bad and that you should just se

While I'm all for making the most of your position, and not defining yourself by your job, I have to disagree that most jobs are bad and that you should just serve your time and go on with your life after 5pm. A good career is energizing, a bad job placement can be totally demoralizing, and everyone deserves to find a career that vitalizes them. Work/life balance is hard to achieve with a great job, let alone if your job is soul-crushing, mind-numbing, impossible, badly managed, poorly located, or in an industry you're incompatible with. So I always advise people to look around if they're unhappy with their position. Even in a down market, there are possibilities out there, and you will never know until you look. And with due diligence, research, networking, etc, you can have some decent assurances about a potential new job is a good match for you. Now of course there are situations where it may be better to stay where you are for a while, to get experience/build your resume/pay off loans/etc. But life is too short to work in a place that makes you unhappy, and family is far too important to have a job that robs you of energy which you could devote to them.