Getting Unstuck: Your Path Out of the Mid-Career Rut

If you're like many mid-career professionals, you've spent
more than a few years working your way up to a good-paying job with a
respectable title. But instead of basking in the satisfaction of a successful
career, you find yourself feeling bored, restless—maybe even hopelessly stuck.

If
you can relate, you're in good company with many other people who are wondering
how they managed to get stuck in a mid-career rut, and how they can get out of
it!

No one imagines this kind of detour in their career
path, and it can be disappointing. But by laying the right groundwork, you can get unstuck, climb out of that rut
and land the job you really want. This step-by-step tutorial will show you how
to get moving.

1. Leave Denial in the Dust

You
might be able to relate to a client of mine who was disappointed with her job. She had a nagging sense that she was leaving her best, true self at home when she left for work. For a year she'd been seeing enough red flags to suggest
it was high time to shift in a new career direction, yet she hesitated to accept
the need for a change and get moving.

Why would anyone stay in a negative work situation like this? A state of denial is often the culprit.

From Doubts to Denial

My client unwittingly wasted time justifying why she shouldn't make a change. It doesn't take long for your head to start spinning and anxiety to build when you get caught up in the kinds of questions she fixated on:

• Maybe things will improve if I give it
  just a little more time? (They won't; time isn't a magic wand that can change your
  workplace.)

• What if my new job is even worse? (It won't be because you know
  what you want and what to avoid.)

• What if I'm not really cut out for what I
  want to do? (You are. Even if you need to develop new skills to become a strong
  performer, you know you'll do whatever it takes.)

Doubts often build to a state of fear and anxiety, which together fuel a state of denial about the need for change.

Prepare for the Inevitable

Be
prepared for the time when the work of forging a new career path starts to
overwhelm you. Expect the "what
if's" to fill you with anxiety and be confident that this is a necessary
part of the journey, not a reason to fall into a state of denial.

But howcan you get and sustainthis confidence?

• Remember that doing nothing is
  not an option. Your well-being depends on this change. The risks of sticking with work that leaves you exhausted and
  unhappy are not trivial. Gallup
  research suggests that people who work in a negative or stressful situation
  on an ongoing basis have a significantly increased chance of experiencing health
  issues like clinical depression and anxiety disorders.That's a worst case
  scenario, for sure; but other impacts, like hits to your confidence, can be
  devastating as well.

• Enlist family members or a best friend who understands why you're pursuing a change to help you stay centered, positive and focused on your goal.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

As
you move through this process of reinvention, remind yourself often
that you deserve to experience the rewards of new, fulfilling work—and that the rewards will outweigh the
risks.

2. Precisely Define Your End Goal

Maybe
you're like a Developer I know who became so energized when he joinedproduct
strategy discussionsthat he lost interest in actually coding software. Or you
may relate to the Marketing Director who marked up every line of copy her
creative team produced, until one writer aptly suggested she consider
just writing it herself (full disclosure: that one's me!).

If you have a parallel story,you're probably confident that you already know what you want, andyou just need help figuring out how to
get there.Many other people are in a fuzzier, much less comfortable place.Their dissatisfaction with their current
job is clear but they haven't yet had the "a-ha" moment to crystallize
what they really want to be doing.

Whichever camp you're in, I want you to take pause...just long enough to think about theproblem you're trying to solveand thekind of work that will solve it.

Start With the Problem

Recognizing the root problem you're trying to solve in your quest for change isn't as simple as it sounds. Most dissatisfied professionals are faced withunpacking multiple, sometimes overlappingissues with their current work orworkplace.

Powerful emotions about your job may even tempt youto abandon your current career before considering less radical but effectiveoptions.In her work on theAmazing Career
Projectcareer coach Kathy Caprino talked to many people who hated their jobs. It became clear, though,thattheydidn't really hate their work; theyhated how they were treated and what they were experiencing while doing theirwork.

Sometimes the answer to the true problem, Caprinosuggests, isn't throwing out your entire
career—the heart of what you do—but
rather where and with whom you're doing it. You just have to be 100% surewhat the problem is.

Keeping these complexities in mind, take the time now tooutlinethe problems, issues and other aspects ofyour joband yourworkplace that are drivingyour dissatisfaction. Also,take note ofany strong emotions pushingyour need for a change. It can be helpful to order them in priority based on how much each impacts you.

From Problem to Solution

With the problem nailed downyou can now map to a solution in the form of your end goal. What are you aiming for in making thejob/career change you're about to embark on?

Consider
these possibilities:

• Could a lateral move within
  your current company give you enoughinteraction with new people and new learning opportunities to re-energize you without requiring a leap toanother firm?

• If you're struggling with anegative work
  environment, might one solution bea job just like yours
  but in a company that invests in maintaining a strong, positive culture?

• If you feel consumed by an always-on
  work culture and need more time for family, could you aim fora new role in
  an organization where work-life balance is a priority? Look for them to back up
  their words with programs that encourage employees to pursue work/life balance without
  negative repercussion.

As you hone your big picture goal, make sure it's concrete and clear. Identifying that youwant to move into the role ofSoftwareEngineering Manager is much different and more useful than justknowing you want to "get into Engineering." Your goal needs to be specific enough for you to determine what it will take to get there.

When You're Just Not Sure

There areclearly lots of different kinds of people in our world withvastly different careeraspirations. Butthe endgoalsthat lead to professional satisfaction typically have a lotin common: They're jobs thatconnect what's important to you, what you're goodat, what you envision yourself doing down the road. They compactaspects of your "dream job" intoa singlerole. In the process, they present an alternative toyour current work that is making you miserable or boring you to tears.That's a tall order!

If youaren't quite sure what role will be the best fit forwhat you like to do,and you are looking tomatchyour talents and skills, a number of assessments and job/goal exercises are available to help hone where your heading:

• Myers-Briggs' MBTI Personality Assessment
• Marcus Buckingham's strength finder evaluation inNow, Discover Your Strengths
• John Holland's Self-Directed Search
• MAPP Career Assessment

Note:See the Resources section of this tutorial for additional guidance.

No
matter where you land in your definition of the "big picture" career
goal, make sure you have a clear sense of the reasons it's time for a change
and exactly how the end goal you've defined will satisfy the need.

3. Closing the Gap

Let's assume
at this point you've figured out how to articulate your end goal. What now? How
do you get from here to there?

Well...it depends.The answer
depends on how "far" away your big picture goal lies from where you
are today.

You mightmeasure that distancein terms of your function (like moving
from Marketing Communications to Engineering or Finance) or job level (like advancing
from individual contributor to VP). You could be looking at a small-scale change
like a lateral move or a radical shift toa new cross-functional area in a new company. As the degree of change
increases, so typically does the gap between where you are today and where you want to go.

What Does the New Role Require?

Start by
carefully considering the job you ultimately want and study job descriptions
for similar roles. What are hiring companies looking for in those candidates? Look at:

• degrees/educational
  requirements
• specific experience, like a
  certain number of years in a specific function or industry
• knowledge and skills, like people
  management or understanding of agile development methodology
• specific technical skills or software
  skills, like proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite
• language skills
• licenses or certifications, like
  PMP

A simple
table or spreadsheet can help you keep track of hiring companies' requirements,identify the gaps you need to close between where you are now and where you need to be and plan the specific steps you'll taketo close the gaps.

Bridging the Gap

Download ourplanning spreadsheet(shown below). Itis structured
to help you outline exactly what you need to do to bridge the gaps
(competencies, skills, education, experience...) between your current career
and your new one.

You can get started by listingthe requirements of your goal position in the left hand column of the spreadsheet. Then take a deep breath and start assessing, as objectively as
you can, where you stand on each skill or requirement.

Graphic DesignerExample

Let's
say you covet the lead designer role at an agency. You have the experience. But
they want advanced skills in Adobe Creative Suite and you're only at the high-intermediate
level. You've now identified a proficiency gap, so your next step is to identify
a course that will help you close that gap. Notice that for every goal you set,
you should also set a clear deadline.

4. Mapping a Longer Path

When
looking at your gaps you might find that they're big—too big to close quickly
and get to your dream job in one quick leap. That's okay. You just need to consider
a longer-term, tieredcareer plan with multiple steps on a path that ultimately leads
to your end goal. You might have to step down the ladder to land a role in a new
function, for example, and then work your way back up to your current level.

This
is when I also suggest getting creative in thinking about how to fill your gaps.
Consider consulting or working part-time in the new field in parallel with your
day job. Volunteering in your personal time canalsobe a great way to gain the
specific experience and new competencies that the next job in your path demands.

Creative DirectorExample

Imagine Ashley is in a Creative Director role
now and wants to move into account management. Ideally, she'd jump right into
an Account Director role at her current agency, but it requires one to three years
of account management experience that she simply doesn't have. She can't go
straight into that role, no matter what training she gets or whom she knows, without
a move in the middle as her point of entry into the account management function.

The table below shows that she has identified taking on an Account Manager role
in her firm as the most efficient way to get the experience the Director job
requires. But the Account Manager role requires sales experience, andAshley
doesn't have it.

You can see that Ashleynext enteredvolunteer experience as a way to bridge the
gap and get her to the intermediate goal in her career path, the Account
Manager position. While volunteering at the Humane Society she plans to focus on fundraising and
donor relations—activities
that clearly help her check the "sales experience" box.

Using the Spreadsheet...and Other Planning Resources

You can
use the spreadsheet you create—along
with ample shares of work, time and patience—to set
tiered SMART goals or action steps that get you immediately moving in the
direction of the career you want. The spreadsheet helps you define these steps clearly
and granularly enough to be specific, measurable, achievable and timely.

By the
time you're done with the exercise you'll know what you can start hitting right
now, what your more intermediate goals look like and where your long-term dream
job comes into reality. As you identify intermediate goals/steps, like Ashley did withthe Account Manager role, remember to also map outwhat
it will take to achieve those mid-steps and identify any gaps you need to close
on the way.

The downloadable spreadsheetis
a really simple tool that doesn't require you to be online. I like that in the process of identifying your gaps and how to close them
you're also defining a development plan to support your career change. Generally,the simpler the plan, the more likely you are
to stick with it. But there are many other flavors and formats that you
can check out to see what you think would work for you:

• Stop Dreaming & Start Doing: A Practical Guide for Getting What You Want With SMART Goalsincludes a great explanation of SMART goals and walks you through setting your career goals and timeframes.

• Check to see if your current employer
  offers an automated career planning tool as part of its Talent Management
  System. While it will be geared specifically to roles within your company, these toolscan still be useful in helping youlay out possible career steps and what you'll need to
  move into each one.

Other Career Planning Resources

• This Harvard
  Business Review article is a good read if you're still questioning whether
  it's the right time to make a move.

• The Muse is
  loaded with articles on exploring career paths and how to progress once you've
  settled on one.

• If you're looking for a Myers-Briggs Type
  assessment, knowyourtype.com offers the Indicator Instrument
  online and emails you a results report (for a fee).

• CareerMaze's assessment helps you refine your career
  direction and matches you to jobs that could be a good fit (for a fee). A free
  option in the same vein is JOBehaviors.
  

• The Career
  Key matches your skills and likes with "best fit" jobs and
  information on the outlook for those jobs (for a fee).

• Some tools, like CareerPlanner.com and Sokanu, strive to go deeper to help you find
  your life's purpose and identify the perfect career for not just your skills but
  also your interests and values.

The specific planning tool and exact steps you take don'tmatter nearly as much as the investment you make in the process. It can feel impossible to make a change and get out of a career rut, especially when you're breaking away from a position you're good at and trying something different. But thoughtful planning can get you unstuck and into the career you want—probably even sooner than you thought possible.

Graphic Credit

Paper-Airplaneicon designed byUri Ashkenazifrom theNoun Project.

Editorial Note: This content was originally published in April of 2015. We're sharing it again because our editors have determined that this information is still accurate and relevant.