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If you're thinking a career change could be your ticket to a more satisfying professional life, now can be an exciting time to begin considering different fields and positions. Having to deal with a difficult boss can be a lot more manageable on a day-to-day basis if you're taking the preliminary steps to get out of your current job. It can change your whole mindset about your situation.

Highlights If you have the sinking feeling that your boss might be trying to get you to resign from your job, don't despair. Here are the key points: Notice the signs What to do now Find a better career Are you ready for a career change? Take our free career quiz to find out.

See If You're Ready. Maybe you'll find one that's a much better fit for your skills and innate personality traits. If you're not getting feedback on your work anymore or your job title or duties have changed, you'll probably want to make a move anyway so that you can get back to doing work you're proud of. There's a chance that your difficult boss is only leading you out of your current position so that you can find something better.

Remember: A bad or difficult boss can be a blessing in disguise, one that leads you to new professional heights. Don't blame yourself. Chances are, you aren't solely responsible for the unpleasant career situation you're in. There are so many variables that may influence the way your supervisor treats you, and there's no need to be too hard on yourself about your predicament.

Your supervisor's behavior may have everything to do with them and nothing to do with you. Just try to learn what you can from it. Another option is to indulge in a side project outside of work that could potentially lead to other opportunities. If you go this route, make sure to keep a portfolio demonstrating your abilities.

No matter what you decide, start networking and reaching out to professional connections. This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here. More From Forbes. Nov 11, , am EST. Nov 10, , pm EST. Research has shown time and again that practicing empathy can be a game changer in difficult boss-subordinate relationships, and not just as a top-down phenomenon.

Experts such as Stephen Covey and Daniel Goleman emphasize the importance of using this key aspect of emotional intelligence to manage up. Bottom line: If you work on empathizing with your boss, chances are he or she will start empathizing with you, which will benefit everyone.

But as Goleman showed years ago, empathy can be learned. I recall the case of George, a sales manager in a big U. Although it may be a conscious exercise, a display of empathy is still best delivered in an informal setting. Over dinner the first day, he carefully offered Abby an opportunity to open up about the pressures she felt by asking how the new business projects in mainland China were coming along. Abby turned out to be only too ready to share her stresses and frustrations, and the exchange marked a turning point in what eventually became a very satisfactory working relationship between the two.

The second step is to look at yourself. In my experience, people who struggle to work well with their bosses are nearly always part of the problem themselves: Their behavior is in some way preventing them from being recognized and valued. Start with some introspection.

Consider, as objectively as you can, any criticisms your boss has offered. In what areas do you need to improve? What aspects of your behavior or output might irk him or her? Also ask yourself what might make your personalities clash. Transference of this kind has a powerful influence on behavior and should always be explicitly considered in figuring out dysfunctions in any boss-subordinate relationship.

One client, for example, told me that her boss reminded her of a primary school teacher who had bullied her and whom she had never been able to please. The two resembled each other physically and shared a similar peremptory manner of communicating. When we surface transference, people can usually take steps to correct for it. Next, observe and seek advice from colleagues who work successfully with your boss.

Try to understand his or her preferences, quirks, and hot buttons, and get some pointers on how you might do things differently. When you approach colleagues, though, make sure to frame any questions carefully. Your information is secure. Please read our privacy policy for more information.

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Uploading your resume You can't choose your boss, but you can choose how you react to a bad one. Honestly evaluate the situation It can be tough to look in the mirror, but take an honest look and determine if there are items on your side of the table to work on that could help improve the relationship with your boss. Understand your boss' issues and communication style The better versed you are in "emotional intelligence" and how to get along with others, the better positioned you'll be to deal with tough situations like a difficult boss.

Create a written record If your boss is always on your case about what you have or haven't done or that you're not meeting deadlines, be sure to keep a detailed written record of all of your work , from what to when to who, as well as any reasons as to why a project or item was delayed. Don't waste your energy on thinking about your bad boss I've been fortunate to have some amazing managers during my career. Know that you did not do anything wrong At the end of the day, some relationships simply don't work well.

Take the high road Choose to act like an adult, even if your boss doesn't. Speak to someone in Human Resources This is especially true if the behavior of your manager borders harassment or makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable.

Speak to someone higher up in the organization that can help This can be tricky, I know. See the situation as a learning opportunity Consider the silver lining in a bad-boss situation to be the fact that you can learn what not to do if you're ever a manager or supervisor one day. See how your resume stacks up.