Very few people are lucky enough to go straight from college into the career of our dreams. For most of us, there is at least a little time spent in jobs that we loathe. If you are currently in a job that you just can’t stand, here are our seven tips on how to get through.

Consider This A Learning Opportunity

If you can’t consider this job a resume builder, then focus on how you can use it to build your skills and become an expert in your field. Spend your time on management training, or on learning more about accounting, or on developing your marketing knowledge. Make sure that you can leave this job knowing more than when you started, so that you don’t feel like your time has been wasted.

Focus on Networking Potential

Whether you intend to stay in this field or not, it’s always good to know people. Take every chance to meet with other good, intelligent people in the field and connect with them outside work. You may want to meet with them when you take the plunge into entrepreneurship or into a new job, or you may just continue to learn from them over time.

Make A Plan For What You’ll Do Next

As we said above, getting fired is not the goal; your best bet is to leave your job with another one lined up, or a solid plan to freelance or build your own business, with plenty of liquid capital to help you in that endeavor. Look into what you need to move into a new career or possibly to another town, including getting any necessary degrees, and do as much of it as possible while you are at your current job.

The pipe dream is leaving with a great recommendation and good feelings.

Don’t Let Work Build Up

When we hate our jobs, it’s very tempting to ignore the pile of work on our desks or procrastinate instead of managing incoming emails. But getting fired from a job you hate is not actually a win; stay on top of work so that you don’t feel stressed about keeping up as well as hating why that you’re there.

Be Clear About Why It’s Not Working

There are many reasons you may hate your job. One particular coworker, a manager who views employees as resources to be used instead of human beings, or a career that you thought was going to be perfect, but ultimately is not for you, can all be reasons that you’re not happy. But to prevent yourself from leaping from one bad fit to another, you need to know what’s going wrong, and what to do about it.

If the issues you uncover are ones that HR can help with, consider setting up a meeting. You might be able to influence your boss’s management style or change the way staff meetings are held.

You may also find that you are part of the problem. As frustrating as that is to realize, consider it a good thing. You now have a chance to revolutionize yourself. You may still hate your job when you’re done, but you will still be going into your next job with a better skill set.

Learn To Reset Your Mood

There are many tools you can use to reset your mood, and these can be particularly useful when you hate one part of your job, but don’t mind the others as much. Mindfulness techniques like meditation, taking a brisk walk for a cup of coffee or tea, or even spending ten timed minutes with a coloring book can all be ways to shed your stress and refocus on the job at hand. This isn’t enough to make you love your job if you hate it, but it can keep the hate from bleeding outward.

This can be a particularly good tactic to keep yourself from bringing job stress home with you, letting it affect other parts of your life.

Look Outside Your Job For Self-Worth

As Americans, we are often taught that our jobs are our most fulfilling callings. When you hate your job, you need to find something else which can fill that space for you. You might get more involved with your family, with a charity in your community, or in mentoring disadvantaged youth, as a few possibilities. Alternatively, you could commit your spare time to mastering baking, learning a craft, or finally writing that novel that’s been driving you for years.

The point is to make sure that you are doing something that is for you, and which reminds you that your life is fun and worthwhile. Your job is a set number of hours per week; the rest of your time is yours.