Written by: Romanna Dadral, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
When work is where you spend the majority of your time and energy, it needs to feel right for you. However, making career-related decisions which serve us can be particularly difficult, especially now, at a time when many industries continue to lean out organizational structures and let valuable staff go.
There are a plethora of reasons why people stay in jobs where they are unhappy, not progressing, or feeling unvalued, stuck or uninspired. In today’s ever-evolving job market, knowing when to make a strategic career move is more critical than ever. As we navigate through unprecedented changes in work environments and job expectations, assessing whether to stay in your current role or seek new opportunities requires mindfulness and strategy. Here are five things to consider when contemplating what your future career looks like.
Your career goals
Opportunities for growth
Can you paint a picture of your career trajectory?
What’s serving you and what’s not? What does your career look like in a year if you don’t make any changes?
1. Review your career goals
If you aren’t clear on your career goals, you will be unhappy, stagnant or both. Your goals are what guide your path and help you get clarity on your career trajectory. Employees who feel their work aligns with their career goals are 3.5 times more likely to be engaged and productive at work. A recent study by the Pew Research Center (2021) highlighted that 66% of employed adults who quit their jobs in 2020 did so because their jobs did not align with their personal and career goals. Reflect on whether your current position aligns with your aspirations. If there’s a disconnect, it might be time to explore new opportunities.
2. What opportunities are there for growth?
Opportunities for professional growth are key to long-term career satisfaction. Many of us experience feeling unhappy or unfulfilled at work, but we also consume ourselves with these feelings instead of focusing our energy on either finding ways to work through the problems. Remember, your career is your responsibility and it’s in your control. Often, we feel that our leadership or companies have the upper hand, but I invite you to consider taking back the power and recognising that you have choices and can make decisions.
One approach I adopted early in my corporate career was to define what “growth” in a professional context meant to me to establish the various ways in which I could expand my knowledge and skills, regardless of that promise for promotion. This can look like being pragmatic about completing training courses, having or being a mentor, taking on extracurricular roles at work to contribute to the overall culture, taking on speaking engagements or attending conferences as a subject matter expert. Again, what this looks like is up to you and your willingness to lean into creative problem-solving.
A 2020 LinkedIn Learning report found that employees who take advantage of learning opportunities are 10% more likely to stay with their company. Evaluate if your current job offers you the chance to learn new skills or take on new responsibilities. If you don’t have clarity on your vision of growth, you won’t be equipped to male requests.
3. Can you paint a picture of your career trajectory?
Visualising your career trajectory within your current company is essential. Consider painting a picture of what your career looks like in a year. What’s your day-to-day schedule? Who’s there with you? What are you excelling at? How do you feel? All of these factors help provide clarity so that you can make choices that take you towards this vision, step by step.
According to a survey conducted by Harvard Business Review, clarity about career paths can increase employee engagement by up to 20% ("The Impact of Employee Engagement on Performance," HBR, 2013). If envisioning your future within the company leaves you feeling uninspired or uncertain, it's a strong indication that you need to explore other avenues where your trajectory is more aligned with your personal and professional growth goals. Understanding your potential career trajectory within your current organization is crucial. According to a 2021 survey by Gartner, “40% of employees cited a lack of future career opportunities as a primary reason for their job dissatisfaction”. If you can’t see yourself staying where you are, what does the alternative look like?
4. What’s serving you and what’s not?
Consider what aspects of your role are contributing positively to your career and well-being versus those that detract from it. The American Psychological Association has found that job satisfaction significantly impacts mental health, with unsatisfactory positions increasing the risk of depression and anxiety ("Work, Stress, and Health," APA, 2019). Identifying what's serving you and what's not will clarify whether the issues can be addressed in your current role or if a change is necessary. The "State of Remote Work 2020" report by Buffer found that while remote work has offered flexibility and work-life balance to many, 20% of respondents struggled with collaboration and communication, impacting their job satisfaction.
Assess whether the pros of your current role outweigh the cons. Make a list of the good, the bad and the ugly; this will allow you to see objectively, in black and white what’s working for you.
5. What does your career look like in a year if you don’t make any changes?
Visualisation is a powerful tool. Close your eyes and review where you are currently in your job. Take a mental note of anything that’s bothering you, or any hurdles or issues you’ve not been able to overcome. Once you’ve done this, project yourself a year into the future – you haven’t made any changes. Below are some questions to help prompt your reflection:
How do you feel about the choices you’ve made that got you here? What’s the worst-case scenario?
What stopped you from making changes? How does it feel being in the same spot? How do you feel in your body?
What’s your headspace?
How do you feel about your inaction? What could you have done differently?
What steps will you take to move more intentionally towards your goals?
I encourage you to be as honest as you can here; masking the truth of the matter will only set you back.
The truth is, making decisions about your career and changing jobs is daunting and requires thoughtful consideration. Reflecting on these questions will give you a better indication of where you’re really at and the urgency for change. Remember, sometimes the bravest and most rewarding step you can take is into the unknown. Trust your instincts, seek advice, and prepare thoroughly for your next move. Your future self will thank you.
Romanna Dadral, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Romanna is a certified life and executive coach, business consultant and non-practising barrister. Her mission is to transform leaders across industries globally,and to impact social and cultural change by Redefining Freedom in the context of mindset.
After qualifying as a social worker, Romanna trained as a barrister and worked in prominent London law firms as well as advising technology and media companies on intellectual property matters. Her dedication to service, working with people and communities to empower, build resilience and foster connection is what led her full circle to coaching.
Having founded her coach/consulting firm, Romanna works with entrepreneurs, executives and public figures to challenge mindset issues which are holding them back from exponential growth and performance. Paramount to Romanna’s coaching philosophy is working with individuals who understand the privilege of leadership, and the importance of personal growth to create a ripple effect of change and betterment to the people and communities around them.
Outside of coaching, Romanna continues to provide legal consultation as well as broader business consulting services. She currently sits on the Advisory Board for tech start-up, Voice Swap, and is a newly appointed member of the MicroLoan Foundation, Women’s Development Board.
Research References:
"The Impact of Employee Engagement on Performance," Harvard Business Review, 2013. "Work, Stress, and Health," American Psychological Association, 2019.
Pew Research Center, 2021. "How the pandemic has changed the way Americans work."
