When Your Career Has Stalled: What To Do Next
September has a funny way of making us take stock. The summer holidays are over, everyone is getting back into a routine and suddenly the end of the year doesn't seem quite so far away.
It can also be the time when a question you've been quietly ignoring starts to pop into your head.
Where is my career actually going?
For some people, the honest answer is, well, not very far.
That doesn't necessarily mean you're unhappy. You might have a job you enjoy, good colleagues, a decent salary and a reputation for being someone who gets things done. You're busy, you're trusted and people rely on you.
But if you stop and think about it, when was the last time your role really moved you forward?
Perhaps your job title hasn't changed for several years. Your responsibilities have increased, but your career hasn't really progressed with them. Maybe your salary has kept pace with inflation, but hasn't reflected the additional experience you've gained. Or perhaps you're doing much the same work you were doing a few years ago, and nobody outside your current employer really knows what you're capable of now.
That is what a career stall can look like.
And the slightly awkward thing about a stalled career is that it rarely feels like a problem at first.
A stalled career doesn't usually happen overnight
Most people don't wake up one Monday morning and decide their career has stalled. It tends to happen gradually.
You take on another project because you're good at it. You stay where you are because the timing isn't quite right for a move. You decide you'll have that conversation about progression next year. Then another year passes.
None of those decisions are necessarily wrong. In fact, they're often perfectly sensible at the time.
The problem is that a series of perfectly reasonable decisions can eventually leave you standing still. You can be working hard without actually moving forward.
And that is an important distinction. If your career has slowed down, it doesn't automatically mean you've failed, become complacent or somehow not tried hard enough. Sometimes the role you're in simply isn't giving you the opportunities you need for the next stage.
The signs can be easy to overlook
There are a few questions worth asking yourself:
- Has your job changed much in the last couple of years, apart from you taking on more responsibility?
- Are you learning new things, or mainly becoming better at doing the same things you've always done?
- Have you had a meaningful conversation about progression, or have you simply assumed that something will come up eventually?
- If you were applying for a role above your current level tomorrow, could you clearly explain how your recent experience has prepared you for it?
And perhaps the biggest question of all:
- Would an employer who doesn't already know, you recognise the value of the experience you've gained?
If you're struggling to answer some of those questions, it doesn't necessarily mean you need to hand in your notice.
It does mean it might be time to have a proper look at where you are.
Don't confuse loyalty with standing still
There is absolutely nothing wrong with staying with an employer for several years. Loyalty, stability and knowing your business inside out can all be valuable.
The issue is when staying becomes the default rather than a conscious decision.
If your responsibilities have grown but your opportunities haven't, it is worth asking whether your current role is still helping you build towards the career you want.
Sometimes the answer will be yes.
Perhaps there is a promotion coming. Perhaps you've recently taken on a new challenge. Perhaps you have a clear development plan and you're happy with where things are heading.
But if you're simply waiting for something to change without knowing what that something is, another year can disappear surprisingly quickly.
The market won't necessarily give you the answer
When people realise they're unhappy with the direction of their career, the natural reaction is often to start looking at job adverts. There is nothing wrong with that, but it isn't always the best place to start.
A job advert can tell you what one employer wants. It can't necessarily tell you whether moving to that role would actually represent progression for you.
You don't want to leave one job where you've stopped developing and move into another that looks different on paper but leaves you in exactly the same position two years from now.
The UK jobs market has also been more competitive, which makes being thoughtful about your next move even more important. The latest ONS figures show there are more unemployed people than vacancies, so simply applying for everything that looks vaguely suitable isn't necessarily the smartest strategy.
Sometimes the better approach is to step back before you step forward.
Start with a conversation, not a CV
If you're wondering whether your career has stalled, your first move doesn't have to be updating your cv or firing off applications.
It could simply be having a conversation with someone who understands the recruitment market and can give you an outside view.
That outside perspective can be surprisingly useful.
You may discover that your experience is more valuable than you thought. You may find that there are skills you have developed which you haven't properly recognised. You might also discover that the next step you have in mind isn't actually the best one, or that there is a gap you need to address before making the move.
Most importantly, you can work out whether the problem is your role, your employer or simply a lack of direction.
Those are three very different problems, and they need three very different solutions.
A useful conversation might include questions such as:
- What is my experience worth in today's market?
- What roles could I realistically move into from here?
- Would a move represent genuine progression, or simply a change of scenery?
- What skills or experience would make me more attractive for the next level?
- What are people with a similar background moving into?
You don't have to decide anything immediately. In fact, you shouldn't. The point is to replace that vague feeling of being stuck with a much clearer idea of your options.
Don't wait until you're desperate to do something about it
This is probably the biggest mistake people make:
They wait.
They wait for the right time.
They wait for the next promotion.
They wait for the market to improve.
They wait until they have had enough.
And by the time they finally decide to do something, they're often making decisions from a position of frustration rather than choice.
You don't have to be unhappy to explore what's next.
You don't have to be desperate to have a conversation.
And you certainly don't have to leave your current employer simply because you're curious about what else might be out there.
Sometimes the most useful thing you can do for your career is simply find out where you stand.
If you've been in the same role for several years and you're starting to wonder whether your career has stopped moving, perhaps september is a good time to have that conversation.
No dramatic decisions. No frantic job applications.
Just an honest look at where you are, where you could go next and whether your current role is still taking you in the right direction.
If you'd like an outside view of your options, get in touch. I'm always happy to have a conversation and give you an honest view of what I'm seeing in the market.