What to do if you feel stuck in your job?

If you’re feeling trapped in a job that doesn’t challenge you, it makes you dread going in every day… it can affect your whole outlook in life…so what do you do? Here are some of the steps I advise my friends and clients:

First, you need to find out why you’re feeling trapped and stuck. What was the first thing you remember that gave you that dreaded feeling; was it to do with the job or the organisation? Is it the people you work with, your colleagues or boss? Once you know this, it can then help you work out what to do next.  

Make a list of two columns – what you do want and what you don’t want and prioritise them. Write down what you want and don’t want and then prioritise: is it more salary or a promotion, do you want more flexibility with the option of working from home? When you prioritise, you find out what is important to you and this can then help you to find out if you can change the current situation., both in work and in life. 

Talk to your boss and share your priorities. This will be an option if you have a boss that will sit down with you. Be honest and tell them how you feel. See if there is a chance to take on more responsibility. If your queries are met with a ‘sorry, no can do’, it’s probably time to assess if this job is really for you. If your boss will not give you the light of day, then you will need to skip this step altogether.

Network organically. This doesn’t mean reaching out to someone you’ve never met to meet for coffee. Get out and about and be more proactive on social media too and start with your strong ties. Your strong ties are those in your immediate circle who you interact with often. Your weak ties are friends of your friends. They move in different circles to you, they know different people, make different connections, and are more likely to introduce you to new and different opportunities.

Invest in yourself. When was the last time you did some personal development to keep up with the rapidly changing world? The things that were hot five years ago are no longer hot today, and the things that are going to be hot in five years, well, we don’t even know what they are. So you’ve got to keep up and keep learning those things that are going to be next.

Don’t overthink it. Easier said than done…I now!! Of course your career deserves careful consideration and should occupy your thoughts but if they are consuming your mind, then it’s time to find some more balance and focus on other aspects of your life.

Set boundaries. That means doing work when you’re at work and being present when you’re at home. Here are some tips to help you:

• Don’t add your work email on your phone.
• Don’t check your email or make phone calls after hours.
• Set a defined schedule for yourself — and stick to it.
• Your job shouldn’t feel like your whole life… there’s more to life than work!

Commit! Once you have made up your mind, you need to commit to it, and this can be scary but also exciting. Questions will race through your mind such as:

• What will happen if…?
• Will I get it right?
• Where will I end up?
• Will it hurt?
• What if I don't make it?

It is difficult to protect yourself against the unseen and the unexpected but every new step you take will get you somewhere you haven't been before…so rather than asking what if? Ask why not?

Apply the tips here and you will notice you can gradually stop feeling stuck in your career, start breaking free, and getting ahead. Start small by doing three new things in your first week, and then adding more as you feel confident.

Remember, it’s never too late to make a change and land the career that you truly want no matter how stuck you feel.