For billions of people around the world, work is a reality. We work to afford our lives, our rent, mortgages, school fees, clothes, food, the works. The bills don’t stop, so neither do we; we preserve and get on with things.
But what happens when you’ve outgrown your job? If you feel burnt out or stuck in a role that no longer challenges you, what can you do? We’ll explore this topic in some detail in this helpful article, suggesting some solutions as well as explaining when it might be time to seek a new career pathway.
Are You Feeling Stuck at Work? The Major Signs to Watch Out For
You might be wondering if you’re feeling stuck or burnt out in your role. There are a few major signs that you can identify to help tell. If you feel deeply unsatisfied with your work, this is a major sign. Other signs might include feeling crabby, sluggish, or having difficulty finding the motivation to get up and go in the morning. You may find it challenging to stay motivated or often complain to friends and family about your work. In this case, these are all signs that you’re in a career rut, and a pivot may be necessary to get the wheels turning again and to find fulfilment and joy at work.
Now, we’ll detail what you can do if you’re feeling stuck or burnt out at work, or if you feel as though you’ve outgrown your current role.
Explore Leadership Opportunities
Suppose you’re feeling stuck in a junior or mid-level role, where you feel as though you can’t progress your career any further. In that case, it may be the ideal time to explore new leadership opportunities. For example, courses such as online DNP leadership programs can prepare professionals to step into executive roles in healthcare. A leadership opportunity might be just the ticket to match your ambition and step into a new, rewarding, and challenging role.
Further study is a brilliant career move and a valuable endeavor to prepare yourself for the demands of a leadership position. You might just find a new spark in life as you pursue a higher qualification.
If you have a warm, positive, and open relationship with your immediate manager at your job. In that case, it’s worth mentioning to them that you want to progress your career within the organization or business. Annual performance review and appraisal periods are an excellent time to mention this, especially if you have just received glowing feedback in your review. A good manager will want to see their junior and intermediate staff progress in their roles, develop and hone their careers, and climb the ranks.
A standout manager might even sit down with you and help you carve out a pathway to a promotion, outlining some key goals to aim for or some crucial areas of professional development for you to work on. For example, your boss could identify a few key development areas that you can focus on to develop the necessary knowledge, skills, and experience to aim for a promotion. This is a great way to upskill at work in your current role, if your supervisor is open to the progress and you’re feeling tired or burnt out in your current role. A leadership opportunity could be a perfect way to reignite your passion for your work if you’re feeling stuck or burnt out in your current role.
Pivot to a New Career
If you’re feeling stuck or burnt out at work, it may be because you feel held hostage in an industry you don’t enjoy, or you’re going through the motions in a job you have long lost your passion for. You might want to stay in the role to continue to earn an income and get by.
However, the lack of fulfilment might have ongoing negative impacts on your wellbeing and sense of self and fulfilment as the years go by. There is nothing wrong with a brand-new, fresh start in a new industry, provided you can still support your family and get by on your salary. Some sectors prefer recruits as fresh blood with new perspectives and different crucial insights into business operations, so it is worth considering if you can transfer to a new job, bringing your transferable skills, knowledge, and experience to the table.
A career pivot can be just the ticket to finding a new passion, meaning, and purpose at work, and is a great idea if you’re feeling ambitious but burnt out in your current role.
Can You Find a Role that Matches Your Values?
For some people, particularly younger workers, personal values are incredibly important and essential in the professional setting. This means that your personal code of ethics, values, or morals may have to align with your career pathway choice. If your current role doesn’t match up, you can feel tired, burnt out, or stuck in your role.
As you prepare for a career shift, one thing you can do is write down a comprehensive list of all your values, which might include terms like integrity, honesty, compassion, empathy, sympathy, and hope. Then, when building your new career plan, you can see if you can align those values with your career trajectory or potential jobs. For instance, you might want to apply only to organizations that are a value match to this list. This may mean that you end up working for a non-profit or in a social services or healthcare setting if you have values like charity, altruism, and compassion.
Suppose you’ve become more driven by success, financial stability, providing for your family, and career growth. In that case, the private corporate sector might be a more appealing and better value match for your career change action plan.