Five signs you need a career reboot
It’s February, there are even some signs of spring here in the UK dare I say and working from home guidance has been lifted so many are heading back to hybrid working. Hopefully that is it now for working pattern changes from the government.
I hope you are feeling positive about your career and how work is going. However, I know many are not after the two challenging years when our lives have been thrown up in the air.
Thinking about their career has been way down the list for many people. The way we have interacted with colleagues, clients and other business contacts has seen a massive shift and the outcomes have not always been positive. For many, the outcome and impact aren’t certain yet.
I wanted to share some indications that your career might need some attention:
Feeling a sense of mild dread about work the evening before.
Having a sense of being stuck in your role for a while and unsure what is next.
Experiencing challenges getting everyday role tasks done.
Lacking a sense of team and positive/supportive colleague relationships.
Experiencing negative emotions about people/situations more frequently, usually combined with a lack of fulfilment/purpose.
If you have a sense of any of these, then it is time to make some time for your career. It doesn’t have to be loads of time. I’d recommend starting with an hour and see how you get on. Pick a time when you can be undisturbed and do your best thinking. It’s often not good to do this sort of work in the middle of the day when your head is likely to still be in the work you have been doing and are yet to do later.
Even if you think you know what the key challenges are, it can still be helpful to ask yourself the following questions to make sure you are taking a step back:
How positive do I feel about my career out of 10?
What are the main negative aspects (it’s important to try and distil them, you can only deal with them when they are broken down and without doing this, it feels like a pit of negativity)?
Are any of those directly related to the recent situation and are likely to disappear with a new working pattern?
What actions can I take against the ones that are unlikely to disappear? Examples might include discussing your next career move with your line manager, getting clarity on your development areas plus making a plan to work on them and building relationships with another department/function with a view to making a lateral move or working more closely with them in your current role.
Once you have thought these through, make a list of what you think you need to do and plan short time blocks in your diary to work on one or two elements at a time. Avoid focusing on too much as you’ll get overwhelmed and end up taking no action.
I’d aim for a couple of hour-long diary blocks a week, at least then if you miss one, you have another in. The day before a block is in your diary, plan what you are going to focus on so you can use the time well.
It is so important to make time for working on your career and not just doing your day job. We spend too much time at work to not get some sense of fulfilment, even if that isn’t 100% of the time. If you need help working through those questions or want to discuss your answers, then arrange a no obligation conversation with me by emailing my Assistant.