Stuart Lindenfield, Head of Transition Services, Reed Consulting, part of Reed Specialist Recruitment

What to do if you are stuck in rut

"It wasn´t a big surprise really - things had not been going well - in retrospect, I don´t suppose I was giving it my all, nor was I particularly suited to that role anyway..."

This type of comment illustrates a ‘typical post redundancy notification’ feeling.  Not only does it demonstrate that hindsight is a wonderful thing, but that many people are truly unaware they are stuck in a rut or unhappy in their jobs until a major event like being made redundant makes it clear.

At such a time people tend to re-evaluate their careers and confront how they really felt about their previous jobs, as well as looking at their long term prospects. But why does it take such a major event for people to reassess their careers and to get out of a dead end job?

There are major tell tale signs which should indicate to you that all is not well at work early on.  The first sign is a dip in motivation. An interesting job, with a challenging but manageable workload is energising; it should give you a buzz about what you do and make it easier for you to get up in the morning. But, if this enthusiasm starts to wane, then it is time to take stock and ask if there is a bigger issue at stake.  

People often fall into jobs without really working out if it is the best fit for their personalities and skills. A good question to ask is whether or not your contribution is adding value to your organisation. Do you get the chance to use your skills most of the time? Does it play to your strengths? Does it make you feel valued? If the answer is no, then it is time to rethink.

You will spend more hours at work than with your family or close friends, so it is important to work in the kind of environment that suits you with people you get on with. Colleagues don’t have to become close friends, but it is important you can relate to them. Equally, it is important that your respect the values and ‘beliefs’ of the organisation and whether or not these are ‘lived’ by the employees. Respecting your company’s culture and values can make you feel proud of where you work and encourage a feel good factor.

Of course no job is perfect, but a surfeit of ´negative´ answers to the above questions should provide a loud and clear warning signal that it is time for you to take control of your career.... before someone else does. Seen in this light, this is of course a golden opportunity.

But is it wise to move jobs when the economy looks uncertain?

Obviously, you can appear a stronger candidate when job-seeking from a position of employee than unemployed. But even in today’s uncertain economy, the risk of changing careers must be balanced with a proactive approach to ensuring you are progressing your career.  The "What with all the problems of the credit-crunch, and seeing half of my colleagues already having recently disappeared from the organisation, I´ll just keep my head down until it´s all washed over," attitude is a very dangerous and ultimately a career-limiting approach which could also potentially have a negative impact on your self esteem.

Getting out of the rut...where to start...

Q "So what made you decide to become an accountant?" Long pause, then A "I don´t really know...." ..is a very common interchange I have with people who have worked in the same sphere for many years...

Even if you don´t feel in a rut, if you are wanting to confidently take control of your career, you should do a regular career review and consider what possible new career avenues might fit with your longer term life goals and your developing talents.

You should also ask yourself some key questions including:  

Who do I know who is successful and really enjoys their job? – The chances are that if you are feeling in a rut, you may be surrounded by others feeling similarly stuck. It is good to rub shoulders with someone who might inspire a more positive perspective. If you don´t know anyone like that, make sure you network and find several!

How can I de-label myself? -  Many highly successful people have ´reinvented´ their careers on a number of occasions. But if you´re surrounded by people who only ever know you as "the woman from Finance who takes time to authorise our expenses" or "the man from Marketing who checks all our materials to ensure they tie in with our brand values" - it may be difficult for those you work with to spot any further potential.  

Again, networking can help you meet new people who will not have a pre-determined idea of what you can offer - hence providing you with a chance to re-fashion your story to a new audience. I have countless examples of clients who have done this and carved out exciting and fulfilling new careers for themselves.

Find a good mentor / counsellor - an expert in career transition / management. Find one through your network or through word of mouth referral. This will help you sharpen your insights into your own authentic talents, skills and strengths.  It will also help you find ways to powerfully illustrate these to maximise their impact on others when you tell them.

To help you interpret what you want out of your career you should consider taking a self-assessment test designed to help you clarify the kind of working environments that would suit you best.  A mentor will help to support and encourage you through the often tough process of moving forward in what may be a new direction, to challenge you when appropriate and to support you through the inevitable ´downs´ of the process. They will also help foster your creativity in finding the right way forward for you and provide practical advice about preparing CVs and how to shine in interviews.

Network. Network. Network

Confident networking, coupled with targeted research using leading-edge business intelligence tools, can get you in front of the right people at the right time and uncover the ´hidden jobs´ market.

Engage with the most relevant helpful agencies - You should ensure you choose a recruitment consultancy who specialises in your business area because the Consultants will be knowledgeable about the market place and up to date with the opportunities that exist within it.

They might also have great contacts to introduce you to and should have links into the leading companies you wish to target. They will also be able to tell you if you have the right skills for a specific role or career and if you have to retrain, they will be able to advise you on the best route to take and the qualifications you will need. What’s more, they will have a feel for how buoyant the market is and where the opportunities lie.

Don't waste time on generalists who might not have the contacts or the information you need to get ahead in your career. If you visit a specialist advisor they should provide information which will be an invaluable starting point to finding your chosen career and set you on the right path.  

Lastly, do your research - there are a number of good books on the market that provide in-depth advice about getting out of a rut and taking control of your career. These are:

´How to get a job You´ll Love´ by John Lees, ´Working Identity´ by Herminia Ibarra and ´Confident Networking for Career Success and Satisfaction´ by Gael Lindenfield and Stuart Lindenfield.

So what are you waiting for?