3 Reasons Your Career May Have Stalled

27 Apr 3 Reasons Your Career May Have Stalled

Have you found that the job you used to love has become more tedious? Do you feel stuck? Has your rise to the top of your respective ladder slowed to a crawl? 

Your career might be stalling. But that’s no reason to panic. Recognizing the slowdown is a big step toward fixing the issue before it becomes a much bigger problem. 

But first, it’s important to recognize the factors that might have contributed to this situation. 

1. Your industry is getting smaller and tougher to move around in, or you don’t have the skills needed to advance.

There’s not much you can do about the availability of jobs in your field, unfortunately, but you can find ways to enrich the skills you already have. Are there any training programs near you that could help brush up on the newest technology or techniques you need? Are there networking organizations that could help you meet a new mentor to work with you through the rough patch? Check out the course listings at a local college or university and see if there’s a class in the current semester that might help add some new tools to your toolbox. 

2. The get-up-and-go motivation has left.

It’s so easy to fall into a rut — it happens to everyone. But when that rut turns into a canyon, it’s time to find a way out. Think about why you liked your job in the first place. Is it possible to rekindle that spark? If you’re bored because you don’t feel challenged anymore, talk with your manager about taking on more responsibilities or learning a new skill in a different department. See if there’s some way you could find a work mentor to coach you to find something to sharpen your skills. Comfort breeds complacency, and that’s not good for you, your team, or your manager. 

3. The job, or company, just isn’t working for you anymore.

Like in relationships, sometimes things just kind of fizzle out. Maybe the management team has changed, and you’re not catching their eye in the same way. Maybe you’re just not that into the job or the work. Maybe the position for which you were hired has become outdated or outmoded, and there just isn’t a place for you at the moment, but you’re not being utilized for your institutional knowledge or being asked to help in any way. If that’s the case, it might be time to cut your losses and look for greener pastures unless you feel comfortable enough to ask about other opportunities within the company. 

The sooner you start to feel like something’s slipping at work, the sooner you can act to address it. That might lead to some difficult conversations, either with yourself or with your team, but the sooner things are discussed, and decisions are made, the better it will be for everyone. 

Connect with LeadingEdge Personnel

If it’s time to move on, contact LeadingEdge today. We’ve got a great network of companies looking for someone with your skills, eager to bring on candidates just like you to enrich their teams. Contact us today for more information!