Career Stories

Signs That You're in a Career Rut

At some stage in our lives, a lot of us feel as though we could be stuck in a career that we have no interest or particular passion for. This can leave us feeling unfulfilled and dissatisfied, leading to a bigger impact on our overall happiness in general life.

It is crucial to identify and take some form of action to overcome signs that you’re stuck in a career rut, as the consequences of staying stuck, regardless if they are major or minor, will have a lasting effect on your happiness. Not sure if you are in a rut or not? Take a look below at the most common traits of “being stuck in a career rut’.

 

Boredom

This is one of the major signs that you are stuck in a career rut. When there is no excitement in the work you do and there is no variation in your day, it feels like you are dragging your life. It feels like there is nothing to look forward to in your workday. You come in, press some keys or operate some machinery and then go home.

 

Comfort zone

Do you stay in your job for any of the following reasons; the hours and lifestyle might suit you or the location of the job is very close to home, the pay is very good for the amount of work you are being asked to do, the bonuses and perks are very good, it offers a good pension.

Staying in a job role because of any of the above could signify you’re stuck in a rut.  We may not enjoy what we are doing at work but due to other external reasons, we prefer to stay in the job as it is in our comfort zone.

 

Your days all blur together

Do you ever feel like every day is the same? If you no longer have variation in your working life, it can often lead to stagnation in your personal life. A lot of the time, you may find yourself too tired to do something of interest after work, or are just unmotivated to do so. Having days blur together is a sure fire way to skip through your life and not enjoy it for every moment it presents.

 

You fantasize about getting away

All of us daydream, it’s a natural activity. However, if you find yourself increasingly fantasizing about getting away from the workplace, moving abroad or just changing your life in general, this is a sure-fire sign you are ready for a mix up in your career.

 

You Clock Watch

This one is a biggy. Understandably, many of us like to finish work to get home to our loved ones, but there comes a point when clock-watching can signify a serious motivation in your current workplace set up. If you find yourself frequently checking the time, aching for hometime, you need to reconsider your career. Given that you essentially work for 50% of your awake hours in a day, it seems pretty wasteful to wish all that time away.

 

Many of us are stuck in career ruts, simply because we can’t identify what it is we really have a passion for, or likewise know what profession we would enjoy working in. Career expos are a great way to find out what job fields may suit you. They offer you the chance to talk to real people currently working in the roles, whose sole purpose for the day is to clear up any concerns and relay what the working day would look like if you were to take on that particular job role.

 

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