What do you do if your career is stagnating and you can't seem to find a way forward?

1 Assess your situation

The first step to solving any problem is to understand it. Take some time to reflect on your current situation and identify the root causes of your career stagnation. Are you bored or burned out by your work? Do you lack the skills or qualifications to advance in your field? Do you have a clear vision of what you want to do next? Are there external factors that limit your options, such as the economy, the industry, or your location? Be honest and realistic with yourself, and write down the main challenges you face.

2 Explore your options

Gaining a clear understanding of your problem is the first step in finding potential solutions. Depending on your circumstances, you could seek feedback from a manager or mentor, pursue projects or tasks that align with your interests and goals, take courses or workshops to upgrade your skills or learn new ones, network with people in related fields, apply for opportunities that match your qualifications and aspirations, or even change your career path entirely.

5 Plan your action

Now that you have chosen your option, you need to plan how to implement it. Break down your option into SMART goals and identify the steps and resources required for achieving them. For instance, if your option is to pursue a new career path, your goals could be researching the requirements and opportunities in the new field, updating your resume and portfolio to showcase relevant skills and experience, reaching out to contacts in the field for referrals or advice, applying for jobs or internships in the new field, and preparing for interviews and following up with potential employers.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?