Getting career-unstuck: 10 tips on how to move ahead if you’re not enjoying work
This is Part 2 of a two-part series on how to take control of the direction in which your work life is going. You can read Part 1 here which talks about how young adults can navigate the tricky space of college choices, and which doesn't necessarily have to lead to an immediate career choice all at the same time.
So you’re not exactly thrilled with where or what you’re working on at the moment? We’ve all been there at some point. If you’ve taken the time to figure out that this isn’t temporary and you’ve been feeling like this for a while, then it’s time to do something about it. After investing years in education, higher degrees, starter jobs and climbing the ladder, many people feel guilty for thinking they’re “throwing it all away” if they talk about wanting to make a career shift. It doesn’t have to be that way. We spend almost nine hours of our day at work – the impact of this transfers immediately to our personal life, relationships and health. If you haven’t been seeing a positive impact, it’s okay to change this one aspect in order to take care of yourself. As someone once told me, it’s not always easy to go back to the beginning and make a new start, but you can always make a fresh start and change your ending! Listed below are baby steps you can take if the thought of making a change has been on your mind for a while without risking your current situation.
1. Stop and think. Is it the work? The role? The manager? The company? The industry? Be clear to yourself - there's no point in pretending. Only once you've identified the core issue will you be able to take the right steps. If it's the role, manager or company - there will be ways to address the issue and fix things faster. If it's the industry, making a switch will require a little more research,
2. Assess your options – what do you want? A change in role? A change in manager? Do you like the company but you want something more challenging? Sometimes job satisfaction can come shifting gears and climbing the jungle gym (making a lateral move) in the same company instead of always leaving and looking for other options.
3. Figure out what you enjoy and what you’re good at – keep the role and company aside. Look at past appraisals, feedback reviews, moments when you were appreciated for your work. Distill the essence of what you enjoy doing. The best way I recommend to do this is to speak to good friends - they sometimes help highlight what they've seen us most enjoy and be energized by and can point out skills we didn't think we had, or didn't consider. If you can afford it, speak to a career coach as well. Sometimes feeling like you're stuck in a rut may be a combination of things from outside your workplace as well - it helps to speak to someone who can help you make sense of things.
4. Do nothing – immediately. Don’t take drastic decisions. Making a decision about wanting to change an aspect of your work career is a decision in itself. Don’t hurry it along. Don't quit immediately and don't burn bridges with your current company. Making the right decision for a career change is a process just like anything else - if you're serious about it, you'll take the time. You've made the biggest and first step in wanting to change your current situation - change doesn't come about easily. But that fact that you've recognized that you're possibly not fulfilling your full potential will put you on the right path to ask the right questions.
5. Upskill – Can you move up in your current company into a more meaningful role with some new and improved skills? Companies often encourage, and even pay for, employees to get additional certifications and new skills, and consider those when looking for high potential candidates. Even if you don't want to stay at your current role, use the time you have to brush up on existing skills or learn new ones that can be marketed in your job search. In the Indian space, I recommend UpGrad, Udemy, Coursera and even checking out your local chamber of commerce for events and workshops.
6. Volunteer – Are you fine with work but missing a sense of purpose that sometimes doesn’t always come from the workplace? Balance out the work you HAVE to do with the work you WANT to do. Look for opportunities which will make you feel good about applying the skills you do have. In Mumbai, I have personally volunteered with Toolbox India Foundation and worked with non-profits on program design, impact evaluation and content writing projects which have allowed me to focus on an area outside of work but still use my core skillset.
7. Have lots of coffee – and conversations with people who inspire you! Start first in your current company itself – you may find new opportunities to work on cross-functional projects by simply speaking to someone on another team. Expand to your outer circle – identify people in companies or roles that you’d like to be in and understand how they got there. Remember - skills are always transferable. When you meet with people for a networking chat, always discuss skills needed for a role. Content knowledge can always be learned. This is also a great time to ask for possible internships, shadowing opportunities, changes to work on a small project to at least get connected with a company you are interested in! Just don't ask outright for a job - it's not good professional etiquette.
8. Start a side hustle – Explore something part time before making the move! Try out a different role or space by volunteering, doing probono work, consulting on a project and see how you feel. If you believe you have a valuable skill to share or a great idea, then make a plan and see how people respond! Use your family and friends as sounding boards. Would people pay for your product or service? Doing this also makes the current job bearable and allows you to compartmentalize what you're working on in the day with what you get to work on post work for fun!
9. Interview! – This is a controversial recommendation but the best way to figure out if you really do want a change, and to assess your skill-fit in the market with real-time and relevant feedback. If you see roles posted that you think you may want to do, apply. You'll get an immediate sense of how your skills match the job if you get called in for an interview and take it as a genuine chance to explore a change. Get feedback from the interviewers on what ideal skillsets would be needed for the role - if you don't have them yet, then you at least know what to work on! This way, you've also established a connection with a company that you can go back to at a later time.
10. Make a decision – There are multiple factors that determine why we remain in a role or why we choose to move. After going through this process, take a stand - will you stay in your current role for a while or will you definitely move? There may be financial reasons why you may need to stay at your current job for a while – that’s completely fine! We all have to face practicalities of life. Keep some amount of energy in reserve for up-skilling yourself to be ready for the next role when you do decide to move. If you decide to make the shift, then spend a good amount of time in the job search. Interview companies as much as they interview you to make sure the ecosystem of work will support you in your goals. Treat this process like any other project that needs an outcome - otherwise you may end up frustrated and disillusioned again! For yourself, you should get closure at the end of this exploratory process. If you choose to not make a drastic move at the moment, you can still apply many of the ideas above and find a certain fulfilment in your professional aspirations that can still be separate from your official work job.
The most important thing to remember is that it's okay to want a change - we are human beings in a constant state of evolution. Maybe we made a rushed choice at the time of college admissions and chose a career, or maybe we thought it through and picked something we really enjoyed at the time. In both cases, as we grow older, our aspirations and values change - our careers don't need to stay behind! If you approach the process in a planned manner, the final outcome will be infinitely more rewarding and worth the time.