- If you're in a career rut that is making you question
everything about your current job
or even your career direction, then relax and just stop.
Answering three simple questions
that we're gonna cover today is gonna help you figure out
if you're in the right place,
or if indeed it is the time to move on.
Now before we get started,
make sure to subscribe to our channel
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all the career advice you want
about getting the jobs that are right for you.
So we've got three questions we're gonna look at today
and you've gotta answer them honestly.
So the answers will not only help you decide whether it is
time to move on, but my last bonus question is going to
help you avoid making any big mistakes
when considering your next move.
I'm Dr Suzanne Doyle-Morris, and I've been helping women
get out of their career ruts for over 15 years.
Now we all know some jobs are just better than others.
But often that's less to do with the perks and pay
than it is to do with the culture of the team,
the organization, and let's be honest, even your boss.
Plenty of my clients come to me with this niggle
about being stuck.
Before we go anywhere, I often ask them these
three types of questions about their current role.
So the first question I'm gonna give you is
what am I great at about my job and do I actually enjoy it?
This came up for a client of mine, Marie,
who had a lot of resolve and tenacity
and loved efficiencies.
She was brought into three different organizations
over a decade, specifically to clean house,
where other leaders had let poor contributors
linger for far too long.
Now it may sound odd that she was brought in
specifically to fire people,
but she actually found parts of it very rewarding.
She knew that it let the good people who remained
actually flourish without being hindered by the bad apples.
So for her, the surprisingly positive answer
to this question was enough for her to stay in that role
the rest of the year it took her to clean house.
And when she did move on, she was able to show
how she'd turned around a completely demoralized team,
and the financial results that they'd in turn created
as a result of her tidiness.
So the second question is
does this suit the way I like to work?
Now we all have our own preferences
and the way we work best.
For example, I'm a bit of an early bird
and I do a lot of work from home.
But you may be someone who's creative and late at night,
and maybe needs a lot of people around you
to get that sense of buzz.
Now we all have to show some flexibility,
but if your current job lets you largely work
to a schedule that suits you,
then you may be in a good place.
One of my clients in a marketing role
for a fast-moving consumer goods company
knew that for her the next promotion would involve
a huge amount of global travel.
Now this wasn't something she wanted
while her children were mid-teens.
So we decided she was gonna stay put for now.
However, we also worked up a plan for her to get
all the experiences she'd need in the next few years.
So, she'll be working across brands,
presenting at more events in Sweden
where she actually lives,
and getting more managerial experience.
This is all so that in the next five years
after her kids leave, she's gonna be the obvious choice
when the next big job comes up that does require travel.
Now if these questions are making sense to you
and just for fun let me know
if you're a night owl or an early bird.
Now before we get to the third question,
that's essentially what would I like to achieve here
that would make me more valuable to my next employer?
Even if you have no intention of leaving anytime soon,
but you suspect there's probably better jobs out there,
give yourself some personal deadlines.
So brainstorm and think, okay, if I had just a year here,
what would I've liked to have achieved by then?
Or maybe two years, or maybe even five years.
Use specific metrics or new skills
that you'd like to perfect,
and what they would give you at the end of that time.
So you don't need to leave,
but just giving yourself personal goals
will give you a sense of momentum.
It's also gonna help you create a plan
to get the experiences that are gonna make you
more attractive to the next employer.
And this could come in handy sooner than you think.
I had one coaching client who was working at a firm
and she had no intention of leaving soon.
But she knew that she needed new goals.
And so we thought about what she wanted to get
out of her career longer term.
Well, a year later, her law firm merged with another.
But the sad truth was she did not like the new management.
So having worked on those goals over that year
gave her something to brag about.
And it ultimately gave her more options,
which meant that she was able to interview
for a new employer rather than stay where she was.
Lastly, for me, this is the bonus question
and the one that stops you from accepting
essentially that something that sounds good.
Like for me it was an international transfer
for a US company when I moved to the UK.
So I liked aspects of my work like my colleagues.
But I was serving environmental polluters
that I did not gel with.
They even teased me for driving a Toyota Prius
in the late 1990s.
So the question is do I even like my clients?
Because as attractive as that international transfer
would've been to me initially,
it wasn't the right answer because I didn't actually
identify with the type of clients I served.
If you've answered any of these questions
and you're liking where we're going with this,
think about downloading "How To Get a Promotion in 8 Steps."
It is jam-packed with 15 years of coaching tips
and the experiences of people who went before you.
And it will give you a chance to think about
how to get into those pastures new.
Just click the link below in the description.
And if this has been useful, please like the video
and remember to subscribe to our channel
for more practical videos like this.
And ask these questions of your friends
because they get really good conversations started.
And if you're ready for switching careers,
then check out our playlist on that,
which also has things on creating your own USP,
which is ultra-valuable when you're looking for new roles.
Now I hope this has helped you feel like
maybe you're in less of a rut.
And if not, well feel free to ask for more specific advice
in the comments below.