Getting over a Career Slump.

Your working life is a long one, spanning somewhere between 40-50 years. There are often times in a working life that dragging yourself to work feels like a chore. As Winston Churchill says “if you are going through hell, keep going!”

As teenagers we chose subjects and schools that offered future career potential. The nature of work has changed over time and jobs we do now may not have existed when you were young. How many people actually land in a job that resembles “what they wanted to be when they grew up?”

Some people are big planners. This is often demonstrated in their career pathways over time. Others have fallen into roles and specialisation based on their skills and experience.

Boston Consulting Group researched the factors that contribute to employee happiness. You can read their research here.

Job satisfaction is based on a combination of factors, including:

?    feeling like you are contributing to something bigger than yourself

?    feeling like you are being fairly rewarded

?    feeling that you are appreciated

?    enjoying your working conditions and environment

?    being in an environment of continuous learning and development

 I just do not like my job….

What happens when you are feeling unhappy in your current role? Often what follows this is declining performance. A role that you may have been passionate about in the beginning may just no longer be challenging you.

You may be unhappy at work because:

?      You don’t get along with your colleagues or boss

?       You are bored and unfulfilled

?       You are feeling insecure in your role due to impeding organisational change

?       Colleagues are being promoted ahead of you

?       Your values have changed and they no longer align with the organisation

How do I move forward?

To dig yourself out of a mid-career slump, I suggest you take some time for introspection, planning and action. You can follow my simple 4 step plan to get over a career slump here. 

1.     Self-assessment

These are the questions you should consider. You should record your answers to these questions for future use:

?       Do you enjoy working for your company?

?       Do you actively promote it to friends and family?

?       Are you learning new things in your role?

?       Is there scope for your development?

?       Is there scope for promotion?

?       Do you align to the company’s values?

?       Are you being paid a fair market rate for your current skills and experience?

?       Are you doing what you are passionate about?

?       What motivates you to perform in your current role? Is it being respected? Salary? Title? Flexibility?

?       Does your employer contribute to your motivation in an appropriate way?

?       What are your strengths and talents? Is your existing role making use of these?

?       List your skills both industry related and transferrable.

2.     Analyse your results

Based on the questions you asked yourself, consider whether you are actually suited to your current role and organisation. You may have outgrown it, or never have been suited to it in the first place.

3.     Decide where you want to be

Does the corner office have your name on it? Is it time to put your hand up for the next internal opportunity?

Do you want your boss’s role? Do you have a completely different career in mind?

4.     Write an Action Plan

Your career action plan should be based on financial reality and your responsibilities outside of the workplace. Set yourself some SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timed) goals and a realistic time frame for achieving them. They may be short term or long term goals.

The simple act of writing these down is powerful. If you find your goals overwhelming, remember you can take one big goal and cut it down into achievable chunks on your to-do list.

Your action plan may include any combination of the following:

?    Build your industry network

?    Study a particular field in order to improve your skills and earning potential

?    Apply for a sideways internal move to build on your skills and experience

?    Apply for a promotion

?    Transition to a completely new industry

By following this simple 4 step plan I think you can make some useful decisions about your career. I encourage you to give it a try and tell me how you went in the comments below.

If you have decided that you no longer fit with your current employer and you are an experienced health and safety professional, then it is time to talk to us.

If you are looking for a new role in 2017 then we can help. We have developed a strong reputation for providing quality recruitment services. We focus on the niche fields of Safety, Insurance and Risk. We invite you to follow our LinkedIn Company page to see available roles and industry new