« Contacts Growing Stale? Start Reconnecting
4 Devastating Career Killers … and How to Avoid Them (Part 2) »

4 Devastating Career Killers … and How to Avoid Them (Part 1)

March 1, 2010 | Author: Allyn Horne | Filed under: Setting Goals

Every day, we hear from our UpMo subscribers that they are feeling stalled…that they are not moving up in their careers. And, worst of all, that there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

Well, of course we at UpMo believe that there is always a way out of the endless spin cycle of career dissatisfaction! But you have to understand the problems—and the solutions—first. To that end, we’re pleased to share the first in a series of blog posts on the most devastating career killers…

Killer #1: Stalling in a Job You Hate
Do you have to *d…r…a…g* yourself out of bed in the morning? Do you stare out the window or at the walls of your cube, wishing you could be doing something, anything, else? Do you cringe when you hit the sack Sunday night, knowing that another 60 or so hours of drudgery await you? 

You might have the career blues.

To break the blues, step back—out of the rut, so to speak. Reflect on yourself, your company, and your situation.

  1. Bored? Why do you feel so stale, so blah? Is it boredom? Are you landing new assignments or learning new skills? Do youwant to land new assignments or learn new skills? If so, speak with your manager about assuming more responsibility. Scan the event listings of your favorite industry or professional association and enroll in conferences and other learning venues coming soon to your area. You could very well make a fresh start without switching jobs.
  1. People problems? Does your boss drive you bonkers? Our best advice: engage. Schedule a meeting. Present your concerns tactfully, emphasizing the positive and suggesting objective methods for more effective collaboration. Warning: preload with constructive solutions to each issue you raise. If you’ve tried but just can’t resolve your particular boss issues, see about shifting roles within your organization before jumping ship, especially if you like your company.
  1. Lost your niche? What do you like most about your job? Least? What makes you happiest? What leaves you fulfilled at the end of the day? Ask several close colleagues and even your boss what they consider your strengths, as well as what “out of the box” or unexpected roles they might see you in. Prepare to be surprised: you might find that the only one restricting your career vision … is you.

Still blue? The trouble might lie with your company. The 2009/2010 Staying@Work report found that (too) many firms ignore key factors that may be making you feel and say “blah.” For example:

  • 78% of employers conceded that asking you to work excessively long hours is a leading stress monger, but just 21% are addressing the issue.
  • 68% cited your lack of work/life balance as a stress producer, but only 38% care enough to implement changes that help you combat that stress.
  • 67% said your fear of job loss leads to an uptick in stress, but only 41% bother doing anything to alleviate your concerns.

If your company is among those doling out never-ending heaps of stress, it might be time to transition to a new job, which, by the way, just happen to be the subject of the next post in our Career Killers series. Stay tuned….

Share/Save/Bookmark

This entry was posted on Monday, March 1st, 2010 and is filed under Setting Goals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

xygoxen

2 people have left comments

The problem with boredom is that we expect our managers to FIX IT! Sometimes, we need to become more innovative in trying to move away from the ‘boring’ job without abandoning the goals of the organization. I remember once being in this position. I walked around the office and interviewed other co-workers. The question I posted..was “What is it that we need to fix in order to become a better organization?”. With the feedback, I walked up to management with the list…and proposed how I could help out. I am not sure what manager would refuse such an offer. I got out of my boring job and into something the organization could see as valuable. I kept my job and the manager got his problems solved…a win-win!

ange wrote on March 1, 2010 - 10:12 pm | Visit Link

Great story, Angel. You’re right–if you want a great job, a great relationship with a coworker, etc., then YOU must take the steps to make it happen. Blaming others for what you don’t have won’t fix your problems, and your experience is proof of that!

Greg Howard wrote on March 4, 2010 - 6:21 pm | Visit Link

feel free to leave a comment

Comment Guidelines: Basic XHTML is allowed (a href, strong, em, code). All line breaks and paragraphs are automatically generated. Off-topic or inappropriate comments will be edited or deleted. Email addresses will never be published. Keep it PG-13 people!

XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

All fields marked with " * " are required.