Do you feel stuck at your current job? Do you experience boredom or lack of interest in your role at your company and desperately hoping for a way out? Do you see no signs of progress in your work or growth opportunities for yourself in the near future? Do you literally dread waking up every morning and going to work? If you experience these things, you may be facing career stagnation. If you are no longer excited about the things that you normally love about your career, it is a clear sign that your career has wafted into stagnation.
Career stagnation makes you lose that passion and motivation you once had for your work. It is a lack of engagement in one’s work, which usually affects their career growth and development. Many people have been caught up in a career that has little or no opportunities for their growth. It affects productivity in the workplace and when appropriate actions are not taken, it leaves you with questioning your own skillsets and abilities.
If you are someone who put in tremendous efforts into your job, then growth and satisfaction are some of the rewards you expect for your hard work. However, when you do not receive it from your current job role or company, you will start to feel frustrated and the excitement you once had for your job starts diminishing. You feel stuck in one spot or place and at times, you do not see any doors to escape. Hence, you continue doing the same job in a same place over and over again without really being involved in it.
Career stagnation can happen due to following factors:
Lack of challenges in your role:
When your tasks become so easy that you do not have to push yourself to deliver, it is only a matter of time before the job gets boring. You will hardly find it challenging.
Static Earnings:
Your earnings are supposed to increase as you progress in your career journey. The financial rewards you get for your hard work are can boost you. Sometimes, you are surprised at how much work you accomplish when you focus on the financial benefits ahead. When your earnings and other financial rewards are not increasing, it begins to feel like you are not moving forward.
No Promotion:
If you have been in the same position for some time, and you have not been promoted despite the value you offer to the organisation. People who joined the company after you are getting a promotion and a raise too. This is a clear indication that you are stuck at a place while everyone moves on to a bigger title. Now is the time to figure out why it is happening to you, to remedy the situation.
A Lack of Engagement:
The organisation hired you because of the value you would bring to the table with your skill set. But a few years down the line, you realise you are not maximising your skills. This can leave you frustrated with the thought that you are in a dead-end job.
No Scope for Learning:
Learning and implementing a new skill-set at your workplace is a part of the progress you make in your career. However, many workers are stuck in companies with little or no opportunity for growth.
If you are in this situation, there is no need to panic. Several people experience career stagnation at some point in their career. It is up to you to determine how it plays out. You can either let it take a toll on you or turn the tables around for the better. If you are feeling stuck in your career, you owe it to yourself to shake things up and make a change. The feeling of stagnation could be a watershed moment in your career, as it helps you to put things into perspective.
Having identified the signs that your career is stagnating, there are several measures you can take to get out of it:
Set clear career goals:
Career stagnation usually happens because the employee does not have a clear career goal in mind. Having a goal can help you learn the skills required to turn your dream into reality and keep the feeling of stagnation at bay.
Stay abreast of industry’s changes:
Usually, employees struggle to cope with their industry changes since they are unaware. Even if you are at the junior-most level, ensure that you keep tabs on new technologies and/or processes in your industry. This will allow you to identify the skills that you need to acquire to stay relevant.
Work on your skills:
A successful career is one in which you continuously evolve and grow. If you are feeling stagnated, then try to update your skills. Learning new skills can reignite your passion for the job and create new opportunities.
Use the power of Networking:
In today’s times, networking is essential for various reasons. While it helps you find excellent career opportunities, it also helps broaden your perspective towards your job.
Career stagnation can take away some crucial years of your professional life if not recognised and overcome on time. But once you are aware of it, be proactive and put all your efforts to not feel stagnant in a job role or organisation. As digital marketing entrepreneur Kylie Francis rightly says, “Change isn’t risky, being stagnant is”.