Hitting a Career Plateau: 5 Ways to Get Unstuck
It’s normal for any career-driven professional to experience a plateau in their professional lives. According to Indeed.com, “A career plateau is a point where an employee feels stuck with no way to progress or move up in the company. They feel they’ve grown as much as they can in their careers with the company or their skills.” As a result, employees feel demotivated. Some might even start updating their resumé and applying for jobs.
If you feel the excitement of your job is waning, your tasks are suddenly becoming monotonous, and your motivation is beginning to be non-existent, you’ve hit a plateau. It can be frustrating, but you should think of it as an opportunity for reflection and reinvention.
What Are the Reasons for a Career Plateau?
There are different reasons why you feel you’re stuck at work. If you know what causes your stagnation, it might be easier to get out of that rut.
1. Increased competition: Since industries are always evolving, competition for promotions and new roles can become more intense, making it harder to stand out.
How to overcome this: Invest in skills development! As highlighted in a post by Dr. Ciera Graham-Graves, a higher education administrator, one of the ways you can overcome a career plateau is through continuous learning, especially in technological advancements. You need to stay informed of in-demand skills and devote your time and resources to learning these competencies.
2. Organizational changes: Organizational restructuring or changing priorities can also result in career plateaus. It can hinder the professional growth of employees.
How to overcome this: Consider talking to your immediate superior about this. Share your concerns about how these changes impact employees. Additionally, try to shift your perspective and view plateaus as opportunities for growth. This mindset can help you stay motivated and adaptable during organizational changes.
3. Burnout: Constantly working without taking the time to rest and recharge will make it difficult to maintain the energy you need to overcome the plateau.
How to overcome this: If this is the cause of your career plateau, overcoming this is quite easy! Take the time off! Go on a holiday and enjoy yourself. Once you’re well rested, you’ll likely view your situation not as a plateau anymore, but rather a period of stability.
4. Lack of networking: If you’re not actively networking or building relationships, you may miss out on opportunities that could lead to growth.
How to overcome this: If you’re not considering changing careers or companies, why not try to expand your professional network? Washington State University also recommends finding a mentor who can offer fresh insights with regard to your career.
5. Monotonous tasks: If your daily responsibilities feel repetitive, and you’re no longer being challenged, you’ll feel stuck and without any advancement or growth.
How to overcome this: In this Monster.com post, there are things you can do to keep your “career moving forward when you aren’t moving up.” You can find the progression you’re looking for outside of your organization. You can become a part-time instructor in your field. You can also provide seminars and talks at conventions or offer your expertise to businesses or volunteer organizations.
Key Takeaway
It’s easy to feel stagnant at work. However, by taking proactive steps and finding new ways to succeed that are outside of your job, you can easily avoid hitting a plateau in your career.
It’s also wise to remember that career paths differ. What others achieved in a short period might take you a longer time to achieve, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen to you as well.
