“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” Doing what you love is freedom. Loving what you do is happiness. If you’re free and happy, those are wonderful qualities in your life, and they will attract equally positive opportunities to you.”
Over 50% of workers today are not engaged with their work. There are many reasons why you may be feeling you are going nowhere fast in your present job and not sure what to do about it. You need your job to pay the bills and want to keep your boss happy, but at the same time you are feeling undervalued and underpaid for the talents you bring to the table. I feel you! It’s important to be clear as to the reasons why you are feeling stalled and why you believe moving on is the right answer.
Here are some possible scenarios to consider before you take a deep dive into job hunting.
Go or Stay?
- Go - You’ve finally reached a certain level of responsibility and reward but in order to get to the next level you have to wait for someone to be promoted or leave. While this on its own merit is not considered dead end, the reality is it slows you down if you have been hoping to move upwards at a reasonable pace.
- Stay - Assuming you still like the company but just stagnant in your present role; have you considered other types of roles that could platform your skills and also offer new opportunities to learn?
- Go - Your company has built in limitations of opportunities due to its size, structure and how profitable they are.
- Stay - Have you been clear with your boss about your career aspirations?
- Go - Have you asked for projects or taken on added responsibilities only to have your manager unable to come up with a plan or worse not want to talk about it all.
- Stay - If you were offered a promotion, are you completely clear in your mind you wouldn’t take it? Is it worth considering even if you have to compromise on something in the short term to achieve something longer term?
- Go - But have a plan in place - You are bored out of your wits but the money has been good and it pays the bills.
If you are ready to get unstuck, Read on.....
1. Create your non-negotiable list of personal development must haves.
What do you want to learn in the next five years? What capabilities do you want to build? This is the tool-box that you will carry with you for a long time and to every job.
What kind of lifestyle do you want? Many jobs might give you the title and the money but will it provide the lifestyle you wish for?
What are you willing and not willing to accept in compensation? Are you willing to earn the same or less in the short term knowing in the long term it will pay off?
Do you have certain unwavering principles on how you wish to live your life and what you stand for, i.e. your personal manifesto. Don’t underestimate how that can impact the way you view your world and the choices you make.
What excites and energizes you? What job would you do for free?
2. Do you want to remain in the same industry?
- If you like where the industry is going then focus on working for the best in class. Are you working for the #3 ranked company or the #6? Will this industry continue to provide the professional development as well as monetary growth you’re looking for? Reach out to your industry colleagues and tap into your network to see how you can move forward.
- Changing industries brings its own unique challenges and opportunities and it will put you in unfamiliar territory, which is not a bad thing. You will be forced to learn new ways of operating.
- The more diverse work and experiences you can acquire, the broader exposure and perspective you will get. In the end, it will make you a more compelling candidate people will seek out. You don’t want to be a one trick pony.
3. A job is a job but the right job can be a career.
The primary objective with any new job is to teach you new skills and expose you to situations you’ve never been in nor thought of. Consider skills as your building blocks that lead to roles of increased responsibility. Your building blocks should not only be upwards, but also across.
4. Figure out the what you will be doing vs the what you’d be called.
Do your due diligence on the scope of the role. How creative and autonomous is the position, how much exposure will you have to other areas in the company or to key decision makers? It’s critical decision-making information when making any job transition.
5. Go to the source.
Talk to the people who are doing the jobs. What do they see as the pros and cons. What’s the worst and the best day they’ve ever had in the job.
While job descriptions can give you a sense of the general role responsibilities, it cannot replace sitting in front of someone who is actually doing the job. It would be rare that anyone would turn down a request to have a coffee and share his or her experiences with you.
6. Be impatient but also patient.
It should go without saying you have to be proactive, disciplined with steadfast focus on making your transition a success.
Put a plan in place. Chart it out over a week, month. What do you want to accomplish for each specific time frame?
Make your lists of the jobs, companies and locations you want to consider
Prioritize your non negotiable items and don’t compromise on them
List the people whom you will reach out to and ensure with every person you meet, you get something specific from them, i.e. - useful tips, other person you can speak with, a follow up chat.
Impatience will keep you on track; Patience will get you there for the long term.
Once you have weighed out all your options and the associated risks and benefits with each, proceed with your decision with conviction. Good luck!