You have to work for a living; there’s no way around it. There are always bills to pay, rent or mortgage owing, groceries to buy, clothes, and other things you need to afford. While some people can work part-time or casually, most of us, apart from those born to leisure, need to work to afford our lives. And some people are fortunate enough to have stable, fulfilling jobs or careers that they love to work in.
But what happens if you’re feeling stuck in your current role? It may be time to make a life-changing move, such as a career change or undertaking further study. This helpful article will share what to do if you’re feeling stuck in your career, and suggest some pivots that you can undertake. Read on to learn more.
Are You Feeling Stuck?
There are a few signs that you might be feeling stuck in your current role. If you find yourself struggling to get out of bed and get to work in the morning, and overall feel a strong lack of motivation or drive, this is a major sign. Also, if you no longer feel passionate or that you even care about your job, feeling apathy or disinterest, this is another major sign. Another one is that you often find yourself complaining about your job to your partner, spouse, or friends; this can mean it is time for a life-changing pivot.
Another sign that you’re stuck in your current role is if the financial compensation is not adequate. You might feel fine at work, but feel as though you’re not getting paid enough for the value you contribute to the organisation or business. This can leave you feeling underwhelmed and dissatisfied at work as much as simply growing bored with your current role.
If you are feeling any of this, it may be time to consider your options. For instance, did you know there are accelerated BSN programs that let you become a nurse in as little as one year? This leads us well into our next point.
Undertake Further Study
Embarking on a new qualification could be a life-changing move. For example, if you’re coming from the private sector, you could consider becoming a nurse. As a nurse, you get to help society’s sick, vulnerable, and ill people, literally nursing them back to health. Nurses can earn a decent pay packet and are held in high regard in the community.
For many folks, engaging in further formal study by obtaining additional qualifications is an excellent way to learn more, upskill, and find higher-paying jobs or a life-changing career shift. For example, a Master’s in Business Administration, or MBA, is the best higher qualification for those in white-collar roles or those in managerial or director roles. Studying for an MBA will cover all different types of business administration skills and knowledge, including strategy, finance, marketing, business analysis, and more.
However, suppose you’re not in an office or business-based role. In that case, there are still probably equivalent postgraduate qualifications you can obtain by engaging in further study, such as a master’s in your chosen field. Again, such qualifications are a great way to progress your career and make a life-changing shift. It’s a proven fact that those with higher qualifications earn more and can progress up the hierarchy quickly than those without.
Work in the Non-Profit Space
An altruistic, life-changing move could be pivoting to a career in a non-profit organization. Various non-profit organizations are usually looking for staff. As a qualified professional with years of experience, you’ll have a valuable skill set that can easily be transferred to this setting. You could work for a charity, a healthcare non-profit, a mental health organization, or a range of other places. This can be an excellent change of pace from a private sector setting, as you’ll be actively working to make a difference in people’s lives rather than driving company profits and focusing on KPIs and targets.
Become a Teacher
If you have a passion for learning and are committed to lifelong learning, then becoming a teacher is probably the right career move for you if you’re looking for a life-changing career pivot. Teachers, by their nature, need to adhere to the principle of lifelong learning and should be dedicated to upskilling and learning.
As teachers are responsible for instilling a love of learning in their students, or at least encouraging engagement with learning, it makes sense that they should also have a natural love for learning. If this resonates with you, this might be just the ticket. If you love learning new skills, new techniques, and the latest research, and new methods of doing things, then teaching should be an excellent fit for your unique passion. This passion might even pass, sort of like through osmosis, onto the kids that you will eventually teach in the classroom. They will be inspired by your love of learning and grow to love it themselves.
Going back to study to become a teacher could be an excellent pathway if you’re currently feeling stuck in your current role.
Become a Social Worker
If you have a passion for helping people, and are empathetic, compassionate, and care about positive changes in people’s lives, then a career change to become a social worker might be an excellent choice for you.
With a career as a Social Worker, you may wind up working in a diverse array of employment settings. For example, you might work in an inpatient hospital setting, such as a mental health ward, where you’ll provide support to patients, assessment, therapy, and counseling to people experiencing acute mental health episodes. You could also work in the wider hospital setting, seeing patients referred to you due to various disadvantages and other issues.
Some Social Workers also work in community health centres located in the wider community, where they see patients in an outpatient capacity. Others may work in a purely outreach capacity, travelling around the community independently to visit people in their homes, where they will treat patients.
Some Social Workers may even work in private practice, running their clinics as a business and employing other social workers or various healthcare professionals to support people who can afford private treatment or whose health insurance covers the therapy.
A Career Change Conclusion
This informative article has shared what to do if you’re feeling stuck in your current career role. We’ve suggested engaging in further study to obtain new skills and suggested some career changes to altruistic roles, such as a nurse, non-profit worker, teacher, or social worker.
This article was written for WHN by Fiza Ali, a certified SEO Content Writer and Health Writer with over 4 years of experience. She’s a PhD researcher in Biochemistry, which gives her a unique edge when writing in health, wellness, and science. Fiza writes high-performing content that ranks and converts. She crafts compelling blog posts, website content, and guest articles that are both engaging and optimized.
As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. WHN neither agrees nor disagrees with any of the materials posted. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement.
Opinion Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of WHN/A4M. Any content provided by guest authors is of their own opinion and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything else. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
