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Professionals often contact me because they are feeling stuck in their career in some way. They have lost excitement about going to work every day – maybe due to something happening in their organization, maybe the culture at work is toxic, maybe their boss or co-workers are hard to work with  – or they are bored and need a new challenge. A common theme that emerges is that people want work that is meaningful – where they feel challenged and are making a contribution to the larger organization. 

So what do you do when you are feeling stuck in your career? How do you get “unstuck”? How do you become excited about going to work again every day?

Read on for 5 tips to move forward. 

Why Are You Stuck?

When I first start working with a client, we try to pinpoint the source of why they are feeling stuck. Sometimes this is easy – it is clear to them what the problem is. Other times, it requires some more work to uncover this.

Some questions you might want to consider are:

When did you start feeling stuck?

What changed around that time? At work or at home?

Are you already looking for a new job and feeling stuck in your search?

Look to the Past…

Next, look to the past for answers. Before you started feeling stuck, what did you like about going to work everyday? There was something about your job or company that attracted you to it initially. What was it like at work when you first started? What are accomplishments that you are proud of?

And Then Think to the Future

Don’t stay in the past for too long. Think about where you want to be professionally in the future. What would an ideal day look like for you? Is your role in line with your ideal job?

How to Get Unstuck

Once you have pinpointed the source of why you are feeling stuck, past successes and where you want to be in the future, you can start to identify what steps you can take to get “unstuck.” Enlisting the help of a friend, mentor or coach can help you in this process.

Take Steps, Even if They Are Small

You do not have to make a drastic change right away – making small changes can be impactful. You can travel across the country by flying in a few hours (faster change) or driving for days (longer change, more stops.) 

From the example above, you can see that either option will get you across the county – one will just take more time. Taking small steps may seem like you are not making progress – slowly, but surely you will reach your career goals. Taking small steps will help you to avoid not taking any action and standing still. 

Is there something you can change about your current situation so that you would be happy? 

Or do you need to think about a larger change?

You Will Not Be Stuck Forever

Feeling stuck is temporary – as long as you take time to assess your situation and start to take action, you will become “unstuck” from where you are. Remember where you want to go professionally in the future and focus your energy on taking the steps to get there. 

Feeling stuck in your career? Schedule a time to talk with me about how we can help you get “unstuck.”

As back to school time is approaching soon, I have been reflecting on the summer.  A big part of our summer is always swim team. While I feel that my kids have learned many lessons from swim team, I was watching one of the races in particular and it struck me how many of the lessons could be applied to our own careers. Keep reading to learn the four career lessons I learned at a swim meet.

Focusing on Your Competition is Distracting 

One evening, the swim team hosted a competition where the younger kids raced the older kids on the team. My son ended up winning many of the races and ended up in the final race. At one point, he turned around while swimming in his lane to look back and see where the swimmer in the next lane was and how close he was. In doing so, he lost valuable time where he could have kept swimming towards the finish line.

In our careers, we of course need to be aware of what is happening in the market, industry trends and what other professionals in your field are working on currently. However, if you look too long at what everyone else is doing, you end up “losing time” in your own career. Time that could be spent on developing yourself professionally or learning new skills. Keeping focused on your career will help you get to that next point faster. Sometimes, you need to stay in your own lane!

Focus on the Small Wins

Ultimately, my son did not end up winning the overall competition. I encouraged him to focus on all the small wins he had that night (making it to the final round and beating his own personal best time).

In our careers, similar lessons can be applied. Not everyone interviewing will get the job. Look at the smaller wins – making it to the last round of interviews or making new connections at a company at which you would love to work.

You may not always get the promotion you want or be assigned to lead that big new project. Does this open up the opportunity for a different role or a different project to lead?

What are the successes along the way you can focus on even if you don’t “win” the final round?

Is there an individual achievement you can celebrate? The success may be in relation to your own career, not in relation to others. 

Always Try Your Best

Did you give your best effort for reaching your goal? If yes, then be proud of your efforts. If no, why did you not give your best effort? Ask yourself – what might be holding you back?

There is Always Another Race

After each race would finish at the swim meet, it was time to rest for a few minutes before gearing up for the next race.

No matter the outcome of the specific “race” in your career (interview, big project, promotion), look towards the future. What’s next? If you landed the job, what will you do once you start to set yourself up for success? If you did not get the job, what did you learn from the interview process that could help you for the next interview? Did you just wrap up a big project? What went well and what could have gone better? What would you do the same or differently for the next project you lead? 

As summer winds down, ask yourself – how can you apply these lessons learned to your own career?

Need help gearing up for your next “race”? Schedule a time to talk with me about working together. 

I was recently working with a client who was fortunate to have multiple job offers from which to choose, and it got me thinking: how do you choose between multiple job offers?

If you find yourself in this position, salary is an obvious factor to consider. Think beyond the salary though… There are many other factors to consider in deciding which offer to accept.

In the article below, I’ll share some of my findings regarding how to choose a job when you receive multiple offers and evaluate your options.

Ready to jump in?

#1: Position Fit

How are the responsibilities of each job similar and different?
Would you supervise employees in either role? If so, how many? 
What day-to-day aspects of either job would you like the most?
Which one matches most closely with your ideal job you were seeking? When you picture yourself going to work each day, would you be excited to go to either of the jobs?

#2: Company Culture 

Much attention is often given to company culture…
But what does that really mean? 

Each company has its own unique culture – even two companies in the same industry, selling the same product will provide a different experience working there on a daily basis.

How to Assess Company Culture

A company’s culture is shaped by the actual people that work there. 
You should be able to get a sense of the company culture from the people you meet throughout the interview process, and other people that work at the company that you may have talked to ahead of time through networking. Would you like working with the people you met? Did it seem like they liked working there? 

Researching the company online before and even after the interview can provide more information about the company as well. What information can be found on their website? What recent articles can be found online about the company?

#3: Professional Development

Evaluate what opportunities for professional development, if any, the company offers. Are there formal programs within the company in which you could participate? Are there external programs that either company would be willing to pay for to invest in employees’ development? Do you want to pursue further education? Although not as common anymore, does either company offer tuition reimbursement towards education? 

#4: Think Long Term

When evaluating your options, think long term. Is this a company you would like to work in for several years? 

Take some time to recall your career goals. Would either role help you meet your longer term career goals? What opportunities are there for growth or advancement within the company? Where could you be in several years if you take either position?

#5: Benefits 

What other benefits are provided besides salary?
Common benefits may include:

• Health insurance
• Time off
• Compensation other than salary (bonus, tuition assistance, student loan assistance, relocation assistance, etc.)
• Opportunity to work remotely a certain number of days per week

#6: Commute Time

Most people have in mind a maximum amount of time they are willing to commute. Are the commutes very different for either position, as far as time or distance? Is this an important factor in your decision or not? 

Evaluate Your Options

Take some time to evaluate your options. Make a balance sheet of pros and cons for each offer. Talk over your offers with a mentor, coach or trusted friend.

And most importantly – make sure you have the offers in writing when considering your options – nothing is official until you receive an offer in writing.

Schedule a call with me if you need help with your interviewing strategy or evaluating multiple job offers.