“Stuck” is one of the most common words I hear people use to describe how they feel in their careers. There are many reasons people feel stuck in their careers. Below are some of the most common reasons.

I support my clients to overcome these barriers so they can create rewarding careers.

Why You Feel Stuck In Your Career

If you’re feeling stuck in your career and you’re having a hard time articulating why, it could be due to one or more of these reasons.

1. Lack of advancement opportunities

   You’ve been in the same organization or role for years or even decades and you feel like you’re not moving forward.

   You want to feel recognized for your contributions. You’re eager for more impact and better compensation. You likely want more autonomy and work-life harmony.

   You can be a highly effective leader, and that may be an area where you’d like to build your confidence.

2. Insufficient sense of community

   You’re feeling disconnected and like something is missing. You’re feeling stuck because there’s a lack of team cohesion. It’s important to you to be around people you connect with.

   You might have lost touch with former colleagues and classmates you had positive relationships with, and feel like you’ve neglected your network. You aren’t sure how to rekindle relationships.

   You want to feel part of something bigger than yourself but are unsure of how to go about it.

3. Inadequate learning opportunities

   You’re someone who believes in continuous learning and growth, but you’re having trouble identifying ways to keep learning and growing.

   You want to keep building your skills, but you aren’t sure which ones to focus on which will help you in your career.

   Maybe you’ve thought about continuing your education, but haven’t felt like you had the time, money, or financial resources to dedicate. You want to be intentional about what you put your resources into and could use some support to think through your options and develop a framework to approach decisions.

4. Lack of mentorship

   You’re feeling stuck because you don’t feel like you have enough mentorship in your life. You’ve had a hard time finding mentors to provide you with guidance, support, and feedback.

   You also aren’t doing as much mentoring as you would like. You enjoy supporting others, but you don’t always have the time to build impactful relationships. You want to share and help others learn, but you have concerns about how to find people who are in search of a mentor. It would be terrific to create some win-win situations.

5. Missing sense of purpose

   At some point in your life, you felt a sense of purpose — like what you were doing mattered. But lately, you’ve been feeling stuck because that sense of purpose is lacking. You might ask yourself, “Is this all there is?”

   You’re not sure how drastic of a change is necessary to get that feeling of purpose back. A different role? A new organization? A different industry or sector?

   You’re concerned that a major pivot could mean starting from scratch, but you do know some people who have changed careers and are so glad they did.

   You’re curious if it’s possible to try some alternative work situations without giving up everything you’ve worked so hard to build.

Why Your Career Feels Stagnant

How do these reasons resonate with you? If any of them do, my clients and I can relate.

At some point, almost everyone feels stuck in their career for some reason or another. This is natural, but it can lead to a lot of frustration and turmoil. When you’re feeling stuck in your career it can impact your wellbeing, your self-image, your relationships, and your financial stability.

How to Get Unstuck in Your Career

The good news is that feeling stuck can be addressed through coaching, and you can achieve progress quicker than you might imagine.

Once you commit to coaching, it’s common to start experiencing significant shifts in your thoughts, feelings, and day-to-day experiences.

Through guided reflection, clarification, and intentional exploration, you’re likely to notice a boost in confidence and a more relaxed mood within just the first month of coaching.

Could now be the right time to work with a coach? Read my blog post on readiness to discover if now is the right time for you.