Heartache at work can herald new beginnings

You can see things as they are

Which is to say, have you been coming to work for the challenges, the education you’re getting, the excitement of forging your career – or to hang around your man all day? Once the romance is gone, so are those rose-tinted spectacles. It’s never too early to evaluate where a job is headed in relation to your long-term goals.

It sounds mad, but motivated by break-ups, I’ve left a couple of jobs and improved my career. Moving jobs is one of the best ways of ratcheting up prestige, salary, skills and responsibility. When I was dissatisfied at one company, my waning relationship with Dave (still a pal) made me realise he was the only bright spot in my day. I went freelance – something I’d wanted to do for years. Years later, a mismatched boyfriend and a mismatched job sent me into the arms of iVillage.

I even moved to the big city because my in-house man dumped me and I needed to go somewhere. It spurred me to have a conversation with my boss about my opportunities. It turns out there weren’t any. If not for my ex’s insufferable vanity and egotism, I could have wasted another year filing and answering phones.

Having a relationship with a work colleague can be tricky. Why not tell us about your ups and downs concerning love at work.