When you started, it was exciting, then challenging, then too easy, sometimes frustrating, and now you’re over it. Here are some reasons why you may need to re-think your career strategy:

1. There are no leadership opportunities available to you. It’s a small department/company and you’re either waiting for someone to retire, move, or (worse) die. There is no where to go which means there are no opportunities for you to grow your skills and knowledge.
2. Proactive ideas/processes are discouraged by decision makers. Where you work just isn’t open to new ideas or pro-active problem-solving strategies. They are stuck in their ways and they want all employees to be silent and tow the line. You can’t grow there, and they don’t want you to.
3. The flame you once had withered away. Simply put: you just don’t love it anymore. Before you walk through those doors or log onto that computer, you suddenly feel annoyed and bored. There is no excitement, no challenges to face and no motivation to do your best. According Gallup’s 2017 State of the Global Workplace report, 85% of U.S. employees are not engaged or actively disengaged at work. You are not alone.
4. Even though you always give advice, there is no one at work you can go to for advice. You are the answer for everything! That can be exhausting. When you’re pouring out and there’s no one to pour back into you, you become empty and frustrated with problem-solving. An industry mentor is a great way to stay progressive in your career and they don’t always have to work in the same building as you do. Networking helps!
5. You’ve become a robot. Out of all the items on this list, I feel this one is the most, subtle yet damaging to your career. Routine is difficult to break because once we adapt we convince ourselves the routine is better for us. Before you know it, your routine (as comfortable as it may be) has stolen time you can never get back. Sure, there are times when you need things to be basic, but don’t get stuck riding the “basic” wave for too long.
6. You’re not learning anything. The one thing that is consistent in business and life is change. Business practices, policies, and procedures are ever evolving. If organizations aren’t conscious they can easily become left behind. If you feel you know everything there is to know about your job area or industry, then you aren’t growing. If you’re not growing you are not progressing, and that is when you know it’s time to make a change. Job security is anticipating market changes and equipping yourself with the right knowledge and skill to adapt.

In sum, I always tell my clients to do a career check-in at least once every 6 months. Asking yourself a few simple questions twice a year about where you are in your career and how you can improve will help you to stay focused and on track with achieving your career goals.

*This article was originally written and published in Legacy Magazine 40 under 40 October 2018 issue.