An October 2024 survey by Glassdoor suggests that 65% of professionals feel stuck in their current role. A 2021 study by Oracle suggested that 75% of people felt stuck personally and professionally. So, when you feel stuck professionally and are considering a career change, what should you do? Here are some steps you can follow that can help you become “unstuck” in your professional life:
- Figure out whether a job or career change is the best option for you. Consider factors such as satisfaction and fulfillment with your work, your health and desired work-life balance, compensation and benefits, workplace culture and environment, opportunities for growth and development, and your family.
- If you decide to change your career or look for a new job (or even if you don’t), then take a step back and determine why you want to work, what you want out of your career, how you want your career to fit into your life, and what values and factors are most important to you for your career.
- Begin researching and prototyping different career options. This includes identifying individuals who are doing what you might want to do and companies and organizations that might offer the right opportunities for you. Talk to people who are currently in positions that might interest you and who currently work at companies and organizations of potential interest in order to learn more about the day-to-day of those roles and those workplaces. Shadow people who are currently doing what you might want to do when possible and get a sense from real conversations and real experiences as to where your interests lie. Also, consider what you have found to be most energizing and interesting to you in previous roles.
- Network in a targeted and purposeful way. Build relationships with potential bosses, teammates, and colleagues, and develop connections with people who can help you get a role you desire.
- Redo your resume and LinkedIn profile in ways that best market you for the positions you desire. Control the narrative, highlight your most important accomplishments and skills based on what someone hiring you for your potential new role would most want to see, and make everything as results-oriented and future-focused as possible.
- Reach out to the right people connected to roles that interest you, send them personalized messages, strike up more conversations, send them your resume, and get interviews.
- Prepare for your interviews. Have a couple of go-to stories prepared that most illustrate how you would provide value if hired into the role for which you are interviewing.
Being stuck stinks, and it is often hard to come out of it. Take a step back, determine where your values, goals, and priorities lie, connect with and talk to real people, build out your network, and proceed from there. If you need help with any of these steps or you want a more targeted plan for getting unstuck that is tailored to your particular situation, then schedule a free coaching call with me at https://adamcamac.com/chat/, so we can discuss your career change, your goals, and how to get “unstuck” in more detail.
Schedule a call by going to https://adamcamac.com/chat/ in order to discuss your goals and to find out more about how I can help you. I look forward to meeting you and speaking with you soon!
