4 Questions To Get You Out Of A Career Change Rut

When you first decided to leave your profession, you never expected to get stuck in a career change rut. At the time, the possibilities and potential felt unlimited. You were the driver behind the wheel of a brand-new Maserati. The wide-open highway stretched limitless in front of you.

If that were true, you might wonder why you still haven’t reached your destination.

Shouldn’t you be soaring by now? Shouldn't you have sped across that finish line? Shouldn't you feel the same degree of undaunted joy you felt when you first set out?

The truth is, there are potholes that can derail your career change journey. Stone-cold rejections to dwindling motivation can occur. It doesn’t take much to run off-track.

The good news? You can get back in the driver’s seat and reclaim control. The key is looking inward and understanding what caused you to slam the brakes in the first place. Today, we’re sharing a few essential questions to ask yourself before you shift gears and get back in the race.

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Don’t compare experiences: A career change rut is common!

If you judge the right” path based on the posts you see in your social media feeds. It might seem like everyone is living their own version of an overnight success story. It’s easy to become inundated with tales of self-made millionaires. Or even by employees who landed their dream job within days.

These anecdotes can be inspirational, sure. But they can also cause you to become disheartened. If you’ve been working away at your career change for months, you may wonder why you aren’t seeing the same results.

As time goes by, it’s easy to get so wrapped up in frustration. Don't lose sense of why you decided to change careers in the first place.

What do you really want to take away from this experience and what do you hope to gain? Are you just trying to keep up with the Joneses, or did you make this decision to fulfill your own goals and dreams?

If you’ve put yourself out there and suffered rejection or you aren’t seeing the progress you expected, it might be tempting to go back to your old way of life. You may even consider calling your old boss and asking for your position back. Or taking a job you’re overqualified for because it feels safe and it would be something to do.

While this might feel like the most risk-averse route, you don’t have to stay in the slow lane as others pass you by. You deserve happiness, success, and achievement and you do have what it takes! Before you take the first exit, ask yourself the following questions.

1. Have Your Goals Changed?

Career changes can take time. During that time, you might discover that your goals have shifted since you first started, and that’s OK!

In fact, it’s healthy and helpful as you enter this new stage of life.

Take the time to think about what motivates and drives you now, not what moved you a few months ago. What does Career Success look like and mean to you? Release yourself from the expectation that there’s a right or wrong answer.

Keep assessing your ambitions while you push ahead in your career change efforts. Routinely stop to wonder, What is my ideal end result here?” and use that answer to guide your next step.

As you do, remember this: You don’t have to stay in any job that doesn’t feel right. A position might seem like an absolute dream at first, but you might know it’s not a good fit by the end of the first week.

Give yourself permission to try things on for size. Put yourself out there, test the waters, and be open to new experiences. Before long, you’ll start to understand what does and what doesn’t work for you.

2. Are You Avoiding Progress?

This one might seem like a silly question. Of course, you wouldn’t avoid progress. In fact, it’s the very thing you want to find as you remain stuck in this career change rut!

Take a minute to think about this one. Deep down, you know the work that it takes to see real movement and momentum in your career. Have you been putting those tasks off because they seem too hard or too time-consuming?

Moving into a new area of your professional life means acquiring a new set of skills. It means networking and making new connections. It means researching the industry, building your experience, and proving your credibility.

There’s no shortcut to any of these steps. They might not happen as quickly or effortlessly as you first thought. Yet, they’re necessary if you want to move forward.

Still, we get it. When you’re feeling down about your career change progress, you might not feel motivated to do the work. To reignite that spark, think about why you chose to change careers in the first place.

Was it to reclaim your quality of life? Spend more time with your loved ones? Put your skills and talents to good use. Remember those motivating factors and use them to inspire you to action.

3. Are You Being Too Optimistic?

If you’re stuck in a career change rut, take a minute to look at the path ahead of you. Have you set your sights way beyond what you can reach right now? Be realistic.

It’s easy to miss the great opportunities if you’re laser-focused on a goal that’s still miles down the road.

It’s always exciting to dream big. But don’t discount the smaller opportunities. Consider them stepping stones on your professional journey. You can’t waltz into that CEO position immediately. Think about taking a lower-level job and working your way up.

This doesn’t mean you must abandon your dreams of that corner office with the view! It’s great to set your sights high. If you aren’t seeing real progress toward that goal, don’t spin your wheels in vain while you wait.

Set realistic, attainable goals that you can achieve now. This puts you one step closer to your ultimate dream. Those achievements are what will motivate you and inspire you to stay the course.

4. How Can You Take Small Steps Forward?

We’ve talked so far about taking small steps. It's important to put one foot in front of the other as you change careers.

We also know this can be easy to say but difficult to do.

Moving forward can seem difficult if you’ve experienced rejection around every corner. The risks might feel too great, especially if you have a family to support. You may be thinking about abandoning your career change altogether.

Before you do so, think about the resources that you have at your disposal. Chances are, you have more opportunities around you than you realize. Ask yourself: How can you use your knowledge, connections, and skills to get yourself out of this rut?

As you consider your options, stay open to them. That dream job offer might not have come through yet. But could you apply for an internship to build experience? What about working part-time to make an income as you fine-tune your goals and think about your next move?

You don’t have to go from 0 to 100 in a few seconds flat. The roundabouts and side roads are full of growth potential, but you have to remain open to taking them. Keep your final destination in mind, and be willing to reach it one mile at a time.

The smallest decisions can lead to the biggest changes. Especially when you take them with true intention. If you can’t leap yet, take those baby steps in confidence.

Get Out of Your Career Change Rut and Find Success

You might be stuck in a career change rut right now, but you don’t have to stay there. You decided to shift into this new space for a reason, and it’s time to remember and reclaim your why”!

Start by reassessing your goals and thinking about the concrete steps you need to take. Then, put plans in place to make the first move, no matter how small it might seem right now.

If you’re running up against roadblocks, you might need a better map. This is where we come in. At Uvaro, we’re dedicated to helping you enter this new stage with confidence. No matter where you are in your career change, you’ll find support and growth opportunities with us.

Our Career Success Catalog is full of advice and guidance to help you start your new career. It includes information on our offerings designed to help you jumpstart your journey. Download it today and reach out to our team for more information.

The road ahead is still clear and filled with possibility! Let’s take off together, and build your dream career.