5 things you should never say to a friend who hates their job

5 things you should never say to a friend who hates their job5 things you should never say to a friend who hates their jobIn a perfect world, we would obviously all love our jobs. We would jump out of bed every morning - nosnooze buttonnecessary - ready to put on our bestbusiness casualand be the first one to hit the office. We would gel easily with ourcolleaguesand supervisors and never get into an awkward spat with other people on our teams. We would rise seamlessly through the ranks at our current organization, too pleased with the companys mission and too fulfilled by our work to ever consider circling back to our resumes and applying to other jobs.Sadly, this isnt always the situation. Unless youre the rare lucky case, youve had imperfect moments on the job - and your friends have too. As a result, you may be the one your BFF comes to after an especially tough workday. Its not always easy to know what to say when someone is struggling, especially when it comes to something as vital as their source of support.We checked in with experts for advice on whatnotto say to a pal whos habitually unhappy in their work. Keep scrolling for their anti-recommendations.1. It will probably blow over.If your friend is miserable at the office, dont minimize their feelings or brush off their concerns as temporary. Instead, counselor, coach, and healerAnahid Lisa Derbabianencourages you to take the time to listen and to understand what theyre going through. When you tell someone that their worries are bound to pass, what they might hear is that you dont think that what theyre dealing with is substantial enough to merit a thoughtful conversation in the here and now. And we know thats not how you actually feel2. Ive been there Heres what happened to me Your first instinct might be to try to draw from your own experiences with a less-than-ideal job or to share an anecdote with your friend that will remind them that theres a light at the end of the tunnel, but coach and consu ltantJane Scudderadvises against it. Youre probably doing this in an effort to normalize the situation or empathize with your friend, but what it can actually do is make this about you, when it needs to be about them. There may come a time when your friend asks you to share your personal journey out of a crummy gig - but in the meantime keep it to yourself.3. If I were you, I would stay for the benefits.Naturally, a reliable health insurance plan or 401(k) is nothing to take lightly, but suggesting your unhappy pal stick around in apotentially unhealthy workplacesimply becauseyoufind the benefits attractive may come off as judgmental. Its up to them to decide whether the pros outweigh the cons in their current job. Plus, as author and coachBernard Charlespoints out, benefits can change with political or other shifts. Comments like behauptung keep your friends and loved ones playing small, Charles reminds us. Any job that exhausts you, sucks the life out of you, or expects you to ha nd over your proverbial kidney isnt worth it.4. How is thejob searchgoing?Assuming your friend has been unhappy with their current employment situation for a while, you might find yourself tempted to regularly touch base about their prospects. While that could be read as genuine concern, it could also strike a nerve in your likely stressed loved one. If they had a new job, they would have told you, saysMaple HolisticsHR manager Nate Masterson. They dont need a reminder that theyre still unemployed or searching for alternatives. This conversation is at the bottom of their chat-with-my-friend list.5. You should just be grateful for the job you have.Gratitude is important, but it doesnt have to come at the expense of your daily happiness. Being grateful doesnt mean ignoring pain and unhappiness, adviserCandice Thomasnotes. It doesnt matter if your friends job seems like the greatest job on Earth. Thats your perspective, not theirs. If they are unhappy, theres a reason for it. Your role should be to listen openly to their frustrations and to encourage them in whatever steps they want to take next.This article first appeared on Brit + Co.