Posts

A Stagnant Career: Reasons It’s Not Taking Off

StrategyDriven Professional Development Article |Stagnant Career|A Stagnant Career: Reasons It's Not Taking OffEverybody starts a new job in expectation of a successful career. However, after a few years of performing the same duties, you begin to notice a failure to progress in the role. Add that to a static salary and unappreciation of your managers’ skillset, and you may have a stagnant career. Can you relate? For most Americans, a stagnant job is equal to unhappiness at work, and 52.3% of workers believe so. Read on to find reasons for your career stagnation.

1. The non-existence of opportunities for growth

The secret behind progression in any career is the availability of ample and realistic opportunities for growth. Unfortunately, if the company you work for fails to provide these opportunities to unearth all your talents, you will find yourself in a rut. In other instances, it will be entirely wrong to lay blame on your employer. The reason is, if you take an objective look at your situation, you will realize the fault may be yours.

Sometimes, it helps to accept that it is your inability to seize opportunities present at the workplace. Keep in mind that not every chance comes as a self-announcing opportunity. It will take a creative mind to detect how to make use of these cloaked opportunities. As a solution, always be on the lookout for how you can effectively seize these chances to remain and feel useful.

2. Your organization is going downhill

This year, many organizations went out of business due to the ripple effect of the pandemic. If the company you work for is one of such that suffered significant losses, it could be a likely reason for your recently stagnant career. An organization going downhill is only interested in recovering as many assets as it can. Such businesses may care little about employee engagement or harnessing talents. Should you notice such a trend, your best option will be to stay alert for better career prospects. You will likely be saving yourself from the effects of an impending recession or redundancy. Being proactive is of utmost importance here, instead of waiting to receive the terrible news from your bosses.

3. Failure to assess the full effects of a new job

Sometimes, in haste to earn a living after a long period of unemployment, you fail to properly evaluate the terms and conditions when you finally land a job. Unfortunately, this is the problem with most workers around the world, not just in America. For example, you studied music as a university course but failed to land a paying job to make ends meet. After a few years, you get the job opportunity to harness your vocal talents in a music studio. Due to the excitement of finally getting a paying job, you forgot to take necessary hearing loss prevention precautions and begin to lose gigs due to hearing issues. Hearing loss among musicians is a common side effect of this profession. Therefore, it is vital to invest in a custom fit and quality earplugs that musicians use to protect their inner ears.

4. You’re out of sync with your values and passion

Nurturing a career takes a significant dose of a balancing act. Without it, you will begin to feel the unwelcome effects of a stagnant career. Unfortunately, after performing so well in a specific role for years, the tendency to lose track of your initial drive and values is high. Others choose to describe it as ‘working on autopilot.’ It happens to a lot of people in the active workforce, so you’re not alone. To overcome this feeling, it helps to take an annual review of the things you consider essential to your professional life. Doing this allows you to recognize habits that are detrimental to your career’s progress. It will require a good dose of honesty and neutrality to identify unhealthy markers causing you to go out of sync with what drives you.

5. Constant failure to utilize all your skills

Have you ever considered why you were hired in the first place? If no, there you have your answer. Usually, employers hire staff with a skill set they deem necessary to increase productivity and company progress. After a few years (especially after conducting an annual review as mentioned in point 4), you notice most of these skills are still under wraps. Understandably, this causes frustration and a feeling of being stuck in the role. For other people, inadequate use of skills translates into a sense of being overqualified for the job. First of all, you need to determine if it is a matter of a wrong job role or a lack of interest in that career. If it’s either of these, express to your employer your desire to move on to another role within the business where you can employ all your skills.

Whatever your case may be, coming to terms with a stagnant career should be followed by your desire to do better. It is never too late to make a change as long as you identify the problem and how you can overcome them. A stagnated career can negatively impact your mental and physical health. Therefore, take action now.

The Incredibly Interesting Paths Skills Can Take You On

StrategyDriven Professional Development Article |Skills |The Incredibly Interesting Paths Skills Can Take You OnIf you’re confused and not at all sure about what you want to be in life, don’t worry. Many millions of people are all in the same boat. This isn’t to say you should take solace in the fact that there are other people who are waiting to find their true calling. But, it is to illuminate the fact that this is normal. Many people haven’t had parents that show them various skills and opportunities of where those skills can take you. You’re not the only one to be in a stage of your life where you are at a crossroads with no sign telling what lies at the end of each path. Perhaps you could narrow down your choices if you had someone explain where different skills can take you. That’s what’s missing so often in our lives, a direction that shows us what will be along the way and at the end of it.

Not all degrees are linear

Sooner or later, you will realize that the world of work is nothing as you were taught it would be like. There are professions that education can’t always prepare you for and there are jobs that only trained individuals can do. Therefore, even if you have a degree, you will still need to unlearn some things and learn new things while on the job. So firstly, you need to accept that not all degrees are linear in their professional pathways. Having a history degree doesn’t mean you will become some kind of museum clerk. In fact, you’ll find that many politicians have history degrees and they are often the type that will be able to form better policies. Philosophy degrees are excellent for a multitude of professions because they encompass pretty much every aspect of our lives. Better yet, it’s the philosophy graduates that are the most likely to pass a law bar test. Even degrees like Art won’t always mean you end up in a gallery or as an art critic, writer. Many people with Art degrees become graphic designers, work in marketing and also work in architecture. The key is to see the potential your degree has for you to work in fields that you perhaps didn’t think were linked.

Specialists, general and industrial

You can be a designer of cars but working in a car factory is one thing and working for a professional racing team is another. This is what you can determine as industrial versus specialist. Brilliant car designers have worked their way up through automobile companies. From the production line all the way to the boardroom, many engineers and designers have made their name just by getting promoted to the top. However, there are specialists that will almost immediately be hired into key areas of a business or industry, so they can use their incredible skills further the most advanced and complex products and services.

Case in point, electricians may work in general homes and fix problems for homeowners. However, electrical engineers will work on the national grid. They will utilize their amazing skills to work in the most complex areas of the industry. This is why if you want to become an electrical engineer you should follow the guide that goes at length to explain what you will need to do. Step by step, you’ll be given a detailed strategy guide on what kinds of skills and qualifications you will first need to attain. You must be ready and willing to problem-solve, think of creative solutions and concentrate on difficult tasks for hours on end.

A fast track path

Some companies that need skilled workers will always have their own programs. Apprenticeships are on the rise because there simply aren’t enough people that are taking vocational courses. Many young people head off to university which is primarily focussed on academia. Thus, if you would like to learn new skills in order to gain a foothold in a particular industry you’re interested in, it’s best to find an apprenticeship that you would like to join. Equally as important, internships with businesses will give you a fast track to the profession you would like to have. It’s important to note that the structure will be very similar as you receive on the job training. You’ll be using the latest tools and software to become a highly skilled worker that the company will eventually hire.

There are plenty of roads that lead to a career that would suit you best. Many people don’t know what they want to do but starting on the path to finding out is in itself a challenge you must accept.