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#CareerAdvice : #HateMyJob – 5 Ways to Overcome a Career Slump. Great Two(2) Min Read!

There’s something to be said for getting into a groove at work and coming in each day knowing exactly what tasks you need to tackle and how you’ll get them done. But there does come a point when too much routine on the job turns into a negative thing.

If you can’t remember the last time you were excited about a project, or got to branch out and do something different, then chances are, you’re headed for or are already experiencing a career slump. This especially holds true if you’re in a role where opportunities for upward mobility are limited.

If you’re in the midst of a career slump or creeping in that direction, don’t despair. There are a few things you can do to breathe new life into your job and make your experience more fulfilling.

1. Volunteer for New Projects

It’s natural to get bored with doing the same old things over and over again. So if your manager doesn’t think to assign you something new, seek out opportunities yourself and volunteer for them. This might mean approaching other teams and asking to get involved in what they’re doing or suggesting valuable projects of your own and taking charge. Heading up a new initiative at work is a good way to not only bust out of a rut, but get your boss’ attention — and that could open the door to a promotion down the line.

2. Interact With Different People

When we think about networking, we often imagine ourselves hobnobbing with outside associates at conferences or industry events. But there’s no reason you shouldn’t do your fair share of networking in your own office as well. And the more people you aim to interact with, the more opportunities that are likely to come your way, whether it’s joining a different team or getting invited to share your input at different meetings.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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3. Take a Class

The more well-rounded an employee you are, the better you’re apt to feel about your career. So if things don’t seem to be going anywhere at your current job, furthering your skills could bring about new opportunities. One of the best ways to bust out of a slump is to take a class or pursue a certification that gives you more options if not immediately, then down the line. If anything, learning new things might also help you approach your current role differently, thus improving your outlook.

4. Make a Lateral Move

Maybe a promotion just isn’t available at your company, or you’re lacking a few key skills to move up to a higher level. But even if that’s the case, there’s no reason you can’t try dabbling in a new area of the business. A lateral move, in fact, might be just the welcome change your career is begging for. If you’re able to switch to another position, you’ll get to meet new people, do different things and grow your skills so that you are eventually able to climb that ladder, whether internally or elsewhere.

5. Take a Brief Sabbatical

If you’re really struggling to get past your career slump and have seemingly exhausted all other options, you might consider taking some time off to refresh and recharge. Of course, most companies won’t pay for sabbaticals, so if you’re not in good shape financially, this won’t be an option. Similarly, not every company will agree to it. But if you have a healthy amount of savings and your employer is willing to be flexible, consider taking some time to pursue hobbies, travel or reconnect with family and friends. Then, when the time comes to return to your job, you’ll be in a better place mentally.

Your job should serve not just as a source of income but as a means of personal satisfaction. If that’s no longer the case, then it pays to work on breaking out of that slump. The sooner you do, the happier you’ll be on the whole.

 

GlassDoor.com |  

Your #Career : How To Tell The Difference Between A Career Pivot And A Distraction…When you’re Unhappy at Work, Quitting for Something Else can be Tempting. But here’s How to Tell If you’re Chasing a Rabbit or Heading Down the Right Path.

Rather than look for a new job, Chon put her energy into volunteering at Dawg Squad, a Los Angeles rescue organization, taking head shots of dogs to help them get adopted. The photos became so popular that pet owners asked Chon to photograph their dogs, and eventually ad agencies sought out her work, too.

Chon soon realized that her side hustle wasn’t just a distraction from her full-time job, but an opportunity for a purpose-driven career pivot into pet photography. “I realized I was at a crossroads when I started have to turn down opportunities because I had a day job,” Chon says. “I started to think, What would happen if I could put 100% of my attention into this side business?”

BE INTENTIONAL

What makes Chon’s experience a successful pivot is she deliberately moved toward something, not away from something, says Alison Cardy, career coach and author of Career Grease: How to Get Unstuck and Pivot Your Career.  When you only focus on moving away from something, such as a job you don’t like or career that doesn’t satisfy you, you’re more likely to jump into something that is familiar and feels secure, such as going back to school or starting a business, and that can be a big distraction, Cardy says.

It’s important to take time to understand what you want from your career, and to consider whether you know what you want to do, or if you’re feeling stymied. “If you know what you want, by all means, go for it,” Cardy says. “But if you’re feeling stuck or confused, that is a good signal that it would be helpful to bring in some support.” But, she says, if you seek assistance from a career coach, be sure he or she specializes in helping people figure out what they want to do, not the just how to navigate the nuts and bolts of a job search, because if you don’t know where you are going, all that information won’t be helpful.

 

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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APPLY REVERSE ENGINEERING

We often confuse passion and purpose, says Melissa Bradley, managing director of Project 500. “You might be passionate about something, but will it get you to your goal?” she asks. And what exactly is your goal? Rather than using an activity to determine your goal, Bradley recommends using metrics to define what will change externally when you reach your goal. Bradley started her career working with low-income families in Washington, D.C., and transitioned into policy work but found she couldn’t make as large of an impact on bringing equity and equality to people of color. “Policy work was a distraction,” she admits, noting she is back to working directly with community members. She helps them receive the training and support they need to advance their businesses and improve their communities.

STAY LASER FOCUSED

Distractions are all around us, and it’s easy to follow a job opportunity that looks or sounds good down a rabbit trail, even when it’s not the right fit for us, says Robb Holman, founder and CEO of Holman International and author of Lead the Way. “You want to make the best career decision that is the most efficient and effective use of your time,” he says. Before pursuing a new opportunity, he recommends asking these five questions:

1. Does it help me achieve my priorities?
2. How much time and effort will this take?
3. Will it help me to gain new skills or improve existing skills?
4. Will this opportunity evolve into something I truly want to do?
5. What is the short-term and long-term payoff?

If your answers to these questions aren’t all positive, it might be best to let that opportunity pass, he says.

DISTRACTIONS AREN’T ALL BAD

Don’t discount every distraction, warns Tracey Adams, PhD, founder of ThriveOn Seminars. “Career development isn’t linear anymore,” she says. “You don’t move up, you move to different organizations.” If you’re unsure about your next career move, Adams recommends asking yourself what brought you joy to do as a child.

For instance, when Nerea Gibson, a molecular biologist working in the biotech industry, found she couldn’t get into a PhD program, she went back to an early interest, fashion design, and started designing wallets and bags as a respite from everything else in her life. Gibson decided to leave her full-time job when she realized she was putting equal amounts of energy into her design work as her full-time job. “The passion, design, and potential were too great for me to ignore,” Gibson says. She started her company Aeren Waters last year and was invited to present her designs at London Fashion Week last fall.

We can label distractions as bad, or we can label them as getting more information about who we are today, says Adams.

 

 

FastCompany.com | March 27, 2018 | BY LISA RABASCA ROEPE 4 MINUTE READ