It is easy to find yourself stuck in a rut, without really knowing how you got there or how to get out.
A career rut is when you are metaphorically stuck, in a professional sense, finding little joy in your work, with virtually no opportunities to advance or progress.
It isn’t always clear how you end up there, but extricating yourself is not as easy as you would think. Manifesting in various forms from disengagement and career stalling, to limited socialisation and lowered productivity, becoming stuck in a rut can seriously harm your career, your workplace relationships and even impact your personal life.
So, what causes a career rut and how can you avoid becoming trapped in an endless loop?
No challenge
We all need a challenge now and then, to push us out of our comfort zones, improve our self-confidence and showcase newfound skills. It can be difficult for some people to adapt to new situations or to put themselves and their work in the spotlight, but the lack of a challenge or ambition while at work can also have a detrimental effect.
If you feel that your role has become too easy, or does not require you to upskill or stay abreast of industry trends, then you likely will find yourself becoming bored and complacent. A good way to keep yourself skilled and tuned in, is to speak with your manager about taking on additional responsibilities, or if needs be looking to the next stage of your career, either at your present company or a new start altogether.
No support
If you are in a workplace that doesn’t support your ambitions, or where your achievements and contributions go unnoticed, then you may feel compelled to sit back and do the bare minimum to get by. Because who is keeping track anyway?
While this may keep your stress levels down and give you a certain degree of work-life balance, as a key aspect of quiet quitting is in doing your job to the letter and nothing more, it will also cause your career to stagnate as you don’t take advantage of new opportunities.
Many people quiet quit to hit out at a perceived lack of support and encouragement from their employers, but if you lose out on chances to network and advance in your career, to the point that you are in a rut, then you are only hurting yourself.
If you do find yourself somewhat stuck and your employer is hesitant to reach out or offer opportunities for you to progress professionally, then perhaps it is time to move on to an organisation that better values its employees.
No plans
No matter what industry you are in, it is important that, as you progress in your career, you have a clear strategy in place and an end goal in mind. You don’t need to know the exact details of how your career will unfold throughout the years; however, to avoid becoming complacent, having realistic targets and something to strive for is necessary.
Not only will this enable you to fulfil your potential but having something of value to work towards is an excellent motivator. If you are unsure of how you can strategise for your future, consider sitting down with a co-worker, manager, your employer or even a career coach, so you can hear your options and draw up a plan.
No security
There are many internal and external factors that can keep someone in a rut, long after they have realised they are in one, a major example being fear. Job security is of great importance to most people and they can stay months or even years in a role that doesn’t suit them or that they no longer feel fulfilled by, to avoid the fear of the unknown.
Changing your job or your career is no easy feat and should only be decided upon after a period of consideration, in which you have analysed the pros and cons, and determined that leaving is in fact the best option for you, personally and professionally.
One way to get out of a rut without exposing yourself to the fear and anxiety associated with potential job insecurity is to give yourself time to research potential new opportunities, upskill in the areas you lack and prepare yourself as best you can, so that when the time comes to move on, you are not only courageous, but entirely prepared.
Ultimately, anyone, at any point, can become stuck in a rut, but if you recognise it for what it is and work to pull yourself up and out, then you will find yourself back on track in no time.
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