Growth and change are constants in life. When you find yourself in the same position for a long time, then there is a problem. We had an in-depth conversation with a Career Coach and HR Specialist, Faizil Kyeresebwa on the subject. "As a career coach, most of my clients are hungry for progress in their careers, the dream is to see consistency in growth at least after every two years or less," he said.
Faizil shared with us possible reasons why you could be feeling like your career is stagnating:
1. Low-value addition
Just like commodities, the higher the value of the product, the higher the price. When it comes to career progression, you need to keep adding value to yourself. This can be through attaining more academic qualifications (and not just any qualifications), an increase in experience, or learning a key marketable skill in your field of choice.
Employers are looking for people who are offering more, if you cannot give more, you are bound to stay where you are. In a recent article, Eseosa writes, “Your worth to a company is ultimately determined by how productive you are in the position to which you have been appointed. In summary, even if you are the sharpest employee, you won’t have a taste of career success if you are not productive.”
So ask yourself, when was the last time you shared an idea with your boss that could help the company grow, or when did you last learn a new skill and attend training in your field? If you have not added any new qualifications and you are still surviving on outdated skills, you are going to stall in your career.
2. You are supporting the wrong team
Being part of the wrong team could harm your career. When your manager or supervisor is not interested in seeing you grow, this may be the reason for your career stagnation. In worst-case scenarios, your superior might overshadow your progress by keeping you from taking on more responsibilities and challenges, while failing to mentor you towards progression. This might be due to a fear of losing their job to you.
On the other hand, If you’re on the right team and you are doing all it takes, yet you find yourself stalling in your career, then it's time to question your organization. Career progression is important to most employers but not all. If you are in an organization that holds no value to their employee's growth, that could be why you are stuck in your career.
3. Limiting beliefs
There are so many baseless conclusions that people soak themselves in. Who said that without connections you cannot get a job? If you are waiting for a magical connection to get your promotion or the next big job, you might be on your way to career stagnation. The fear of rejection has made many people give up too early. Low self-esteem plays a huge role in career stagnation. If you are constantly looking for something wrong within yourself then great things in your career are still a mile away.
4. Early comfort
Settling too quickly is one of the reasons you may not be progressing in your career. It is dangerous to play safe in the career world. The trophy is always easy to grab for those willing to take risks and get out of their comfort zones. When you find comfort in your first job, you are likely to stay there for quite a long time. Growing in your career comes easy when you want more. I am not talking about asking for unrealistic paychecks, but knowing that you could do more is always a game-changer.
Many professionals will probably tell you they are not pursuing the careers they studied because they did not want to do more. Taking risks is scary after all.
“After graduation, I got a receptionist job. I was so happy that I skipped the hustle of looking for jobs. It is five years down the road and I have lost track of where exactly I wanted to be. Every time I wanted to try something else, I feared that I would face a hard time finding work.“ Linzie, who graduated with a first class in Civil Engineering.
Just like Linzie, many individuals are falling victim to career stagnation because they chose to settle. These signs will tell you if you are too comfortable in your job.
5. Unrealistic goal setting
“My next job should be paying me three times my current salary. I also want to be working only three days a week.” If this is how you are setting your goals, you might be on the verge of career stagnation. No one is telling you not to dream, but dreams without actions are just dead dreams. One of the key guidelines to setting goals in your career is to be realistic. Setting achievable goals can help you take small steps towards your destination.
I have learned one valuable lesson in my career; your next job might not have better pay but it might be a better position in a more challenging environment. When you smartly choose the next steps in your career, you are destined for progression. It becomes harder when you want everything in one box, higher pay, a better environment, and flexible working schedules. Waiting for a unicorn in the career field is really a joke. Before you completely lose out on progressing in your career, you might need to reset your goals.
When all is said and done, you might be wondering what you should do next. Planning your career might save you from career stagnation.