Do you put the hard work into your professional life only to find yourself discouraged and bored? Or perhaps you are feeling underappreciated, stuck or unmotivated in your workplace? If this is the case, it might be that you’re suffering from career stagnation.

Most people reach a point in their professional lives where things seem to have plateaued, and something has to give for them to feel re-energized. That might mean a new beginning somewhere or a change of perspective. But whatever happens when you reach this stage, often the worse thing you could do is let things run their course.

Here we’ll go over what exactly career stagnation is, the causes and signs of it, and strategies you can employ to overcome career stagnation.

What Is Career Stagnation?

Career stagnation occurs when you lack engagement with your professional life. As a result, you don’t feel like you’re learning anything new, and there’s no clear trajectory ahead. Or, if there is, it does not inspire you.

What Causes Career Stagnation?

The causes of career stagnation can be both internally or externally linked. An example of an internal cause may be a lack of passion for the work you do or a deep yearning to do something else. An example of an external cause might be a negative workplace environment, poor pay, or lack of opportunities for growth or promotion.

Often, no one thing is causing you to feel career stagnation. Instead, it’s likely to be a mixture of issues.

Ways to Overcome Career Stagnation

1. Set Clear Time-Bound Goals

It can be all too easy to let yourself go with the tide when it comes to your professional life, but this can be counterproductive to real structured growth. Instead, it’s crucial to have a clear vision in mind for your future, and that’s why setting goals is imperative.

It can be helpful to start by setting yourself long-term goals. Though it may sound cliche, think carefully about where you see yourself in 5-10 years. What sort of lifestyle do you see for yourself? Are there likely to be any changes in your personal life that your professional life will have to account for in due time? For example, are you hoping to start a family, buy a house, or travel?

Once you have some long-term goals in mind, start breaking these into smaller, achievable, and time-bound goals you can start working towards. Then evaluate how you are progressing periodically. That way, you can see real progress (or lack thereof) as it occurs.

Of course, life happens, and plans will inevitably change. And sometimes your goals will have to change too. But so long as you always have something to work towards, you’ll avoid becoming aimless and “stuck.”

2. Develop Your Skills

To keep your career moving forward, you need to keep your skills up-to-date. Such might mean learning something new or brushing up on what you already know. Courses, in-house or online training, and creating a self-development plan are all things you can do to achieve this.

When developing skills, pay particular attention to recent trends and where your industry is heading. Then, by learning the skills that will be invaluable tomorrow, you can stay ahead of the game and stand out among your peers.

3. Network More

Communication is key to opening doors to new possibilities for your career, both inside and outside your current workplace. Try venturing outside your immediate colleagues’ current social bubble and become acquainted with different professionals within your industry. Gain their respect, and you might soon find yourself privy to information, tips, and job offers you wouldn’t have otherwise known.

There are many ways to expand your network, and the internet has made it easier to do so than ever before. But while online communities and social media platforms like LinkedIn are undeniably helpful, don’t let yourself undervalue the power of face-to-face communication.

Attend conferences, grab a coffee with an industry pro and make yourself a helpful resource and keen listener. You might be surprised with where it takes you.

4. Seek New Challenges

Sometimes the feeling of career stagnation is brought upon due to a lack of challenges in your current job role. But while you may inevitably reach the point where you need to seek new tests elsewhere, a word with your manager, supervisor, or project lead might also do the trick.

Make them aware that you are seeking new challenges and responsibilities, and they will likely be happy to oblige. And you can always propose your own ideas and projects if nothing initially comes to mind on their end. Doing so will make your present job more exciting, and the higher-ups will likely notice your willingness to go the extra mile.

Concluding Thoughts

Career stagnation is common in the workplace, but your circumstances concerning it will be unique to you, as will the solutions. Seeking a new job or career path may or may not help, but be wary of chasing quick fixes instead of focusing on long-term internal motivations. That way, career stagnation will not be a recurring theme for you but a thing of the past.