Seeking savvy tips on how to strategically escape a dead-end job?
Even if you consider yourself an expert at spotting problem employers from a distance, you might find yourself working a dead-end job at some point in your career. The reason is that jobs are always evolving, and your position may only progress to a certain point before it stalls.
Whether your position has become monotonous, there’s a lack of advancement opportunities, or if you simply aren’t learning anything from your job anymore and feel unfulfilled, it’s time to either look for advancement opportunities elsewhere or consider a career pivot altogether.
What exactly is a dead-end job?
Dead-end jobs can be defined as those with few opportunities for career advancement.
Some growth benefits, like promotion opportunities and wage increases, are limited in dead-end jobs. However, your satisfaction and sense of fulfillment ultimately determine a dead-end job.
It is common to feel frustrated and dissatisfied from time to time in any job, but when those feelings persist and worsen, there’s a problem. So, what do you do?
Identify The Problem
The first step is identifying the root of the issue.
Is it just the lack of advancement opportunities or the career itself? It is also possible that the issue doesn’t lie with your job or your employer. It could be that you are just burned out.
Suppose you evaluate the situation and find that opportunities still exist at the company, but you are unable or unwilling to take advantage of them. In that case, your enthusiasm is likely waning.
By getting to the root of the issue, you can take the necessary steps to reignite your motivation and, ultimately, your career.
Acquire New Skills
Upskilling is a great way to beef up your professional brand and elevate your professional portfolio.
Start by browsing chock-full platforms like Coursera and Udemy to find courses that meet your budget AND your interests.
You might be feeling stuck due to a lack of necessary skills for the position you want to hold next. If that’s the case, your objective is to determine your specific skills gap and work to close it by acquiring the necessary skills.
The best part is that don’t have to break the bank or leave the privacy of your home. Plus, if the skill you are looking to learn is relevant for your current position, your employer could even cover part of the expense depending on your employee benefits.
Reconfigure Your Role
If you feel stagnant in your job but you like the company overall, make sure to first try improving your situation before jumping ship.
Find out whether there are opportunities for advancement in another division that match your qualifications and interests. It is much easier to get a new position in such an arrangement than to find a new one elsewhere.
Remember, the grass is not always greener.
Depending on your relationship with your manager, you can reach out and express your interests about opportunities within the company. They could potentially support your transfer request or assign you new responsibilities that are more in line with your interests.
You can also reach out to Human Resources regarding your professional development goals and see what options they recommend to you.
Rework Your Resume
Hunting for a new job is an understandable thing to do if you’re feeling stuck.
The first step to landing a new job though is ensuring your resume is refreshed and up to date.
Browse job sites like Indeed and Ladders on a daily basis (yes, daily) to make sure you jump on any hot, new job postings.
Tailoring your resume to the position or at least the industry will help it perform better (and get noticed) since recruiters and resume scanning technology search for keywords that match.
Network and Grow Your Circle
Interacting with the same people daily can be comforting, but it is not enough for professional development. Your network will grow as you interact with more people, express interest in their occupations, and discuss your work.
Grab coffee with a colleague from a different department and initiate meaningful work conversations.
The more that people are aware of you and your aspirations, the better.
Make a Plan
It’s best to develop an exit strategy before leaving your job.
Use your downtime wisely and begin planning your next career move. For example, if you want to entertain entrepreneurship, you can put your free time to good use and research what you need to embark on an entrepreneurial journey.
Start establishing objectives and taking action as soon as you leave work. Take steps to achieve your goals while putting in the necessary time at your current job to support yourself.
After all, bills must be paid. It will all be worthwhile if you use your time effectively.
Learn Your Lessons
Every situation can teach you something, including the most frustrating dead-end job. Even if you can’t see it currently, there is a reason for every experience, good or bad. Try to keep perspective.
Going forward in your job search, you now know what you do not want in your next job. You can spot red flags about a certain company culture that isn’t right for you and can determine whether your prospective boss is a good fit or not for your working style.
EDITORIAL DISCLOSURE: This website is for general information purposes only. The views and opinions expressed in this blog article are solely the views of the author. The content on this website is not intended to be relied upon as advice and/or a recommendation. You should not rely upon the information on this website as a basis for making any financial, lifestyle, career, or other decision. Any action taken from the information on this website is strictly at your own risk. While efforts are made to keep this information up to date, NoWayKnowHow.com makes no guarantee, expressed or implied of the completeness, accuracy, availability, or reliability of the information, products, and services mentioned on this website. NoWayKnowHow.com will not be responsible for inaccurate or incomplete information contained on this website. NoWayKnowHow.com is not liable should this website be unavailable due to technical issues or deactivated for any reason whatsoever.