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Glued to your Job?

“So, can you help my son?”

I get asked that question a lot, in one form or another, and I did what I usually do: I laughed, and asked what was up.

The father was wisely keeping his strong opinions out of his conversations with his son, but he told me with heartfelt concern that his son was stuck. And he (the father) felt that since his son was in his mid-30s, prime career-advancement time, it wasn’t good for him to be so bogged down.

Simply put, the young man is in a job he knows (even without his father’s advice) is wrong for him. It’s not unusual; most people stay in ill-fitting jobs at least ten months too long.

Stuck. Trapped by inertia like a mouse in a sticky mousetrap. Trapped by unspoken feelings of “better the devil I know than the devil I don’t know.” Trapped by the insecurity and uncertainty of whether you’ve got what it takes to master a new role in an unfamiliar company. Trapped by your dread of the job-hunt process. Stuck.

So how do you figure out when it’s time to move on? Here are a few things to think about.

Are you challenged?

Before you answer this question, though, consider another one: Do you want to be challenged?

It’s perfectly fine to have a job that simply pays the bills, if you find your joy and challenge elsewhere. Perhaps it’s your family, volunteer work, or a hobby or educational pursuit that really lights you up. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you “should” find passion and excitement in your job if that’s not what fits your life right now. (No matter what your father says!)

Conversely, though, don’t make the mistake of letting your career slide if you want more than just a job. It’s up to you to take responsibility for where your career goes. Long gone are the days when you might expect a senior-level mentor to shepherd your career and tell you what moves to make when.

So if you’re not challenged, if you don’t feel that rush of panic and exhilaration when you’re starting a new project, if you don’t find yourself pushed to learn new things — then you have some thinking to do.

What’s your next step?

Can you see your way clear not only to your next promotion, but the one after that?

By “clear,” I don’t mean that you’re lined up right this minute to be promoted. Nor do I mean that the people currently in those positions are ready to move out of your way.

But if you have no idea what your next step is, then talk to your boss. She should know not only her next step, but her succession plan. It’s worth putting the idea into her head that you’re the best candidate to be groomed for the position.

If the thought of stepping into your boss’s shoes leaves you cold, think about what other paths are available — if any. And recognize that many small- or medium-sized organizations max out at the top, leaving no room for advancement no matter how good you are. In either case, you’ll want to weigh your feelings about the company and your job against your longer-term aspirations. There could be a trade-off to consider. In larger organizations, you may want to explore departmental transfers — or you may realize that something elsewhere would be more interesting.

Where’s the frustration?

If you are challenged, and you do know what your next steps are, then where’s your frustration coming from?

The idea of corporate culture isn’t new, but you may not have considered how much it plays a role in your feelings about your job. Don’t forget, too, that it’s not just the corporate culture: there are almost certainly departmental and team sub-cultures to consider as well.

Corporations, departments, and teams all have their own personalities and styles, and they simply may not be in alignment with who you are. There’s no value judgment in that; it’s just reality. If walking into your office every day sets your teeth on edge, you may be dealing with a personality disconnect. Trying to ignore that reality makes as much sense as ignoring the weather when you get dressed in the morning.

Beware the Quick-Fix Syndrome

Now that you’ve considered all of this, pause for a minute. Take a step back to think. Were your answers to these questions completely honest? It’s natural to fudge a little, so stop now and ask yourself: will a new job fix what’s really wrong?

Many times a new, more challenging job with a clear path to advancement in an organization that fits your style is exactly the right choice.

But I sometimes see people leaving jobs that are perfect for them just to get away from one person, instead of focusing on improving their relationship with that person.

I see people who crave change, and instead of determining how that could be an asset in their current organization, they job-hop from company to company and never reach the levels of success they’re capable of and wish for.

And saddest of all, I see people who are struggling with personal issues and mistakenly think a job change is what they need, instead of resting in the familiarity of their current job while facing and dealing with the real problems.

When you change jobs for the wrong reasons, you’ll only find yourself back in the same place in six months or so. Once the thrill of learning your new position wears off, those other demons will be back to haunt you.

So consider carefully. Are you truly stuck? Or is there something else going on? Either way, don’t waste time hiding from reality. Life is too short to not be having fun!

“The sad news is, nobody owes you a career. Your career is literally your business. You own it as a sole proprietor. You have one employee: yourself. You need to accept ownership of your career, your skills and the timing of your moves.” Andrew Grove, Hungarian-American co-founder and Chairman of Intel Corporation, 1936 - ; from Only the Paranoid Survive

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