What should individuals do if their current job is unfulfilling but they do not want to change jobs?

Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement Speech, 2005.

Break Free

I see a trend amongst many professionals with young kids – they settle for working in a less-than-perfect job because they don’t want to embrace the risk of searching for another – potentially more lucrative and more fulfilling – role.

I understand that. It’s easy to settle for safety and security in an unfulfilling job, especially with the added responsibilities that children bring.

It’s natural that your priorities change once you’ve had children, and being able to provide for them as they grow up is generally at the top of the list.

But – and there’s a big “but” – this often leads to sacrificing too much for that perceived blanket safety and security.

Security, however, shouldn’t come at the cost of a fulfilling career, financial reward and personal growth – and it doesn’t have to.

It’s like that classic relationship analogy. Your partner isn’t perfect .. but who is, right? Maybe they don’t make you happy anymore, but being single again, now?

Well, I encourage you to apply the same logic to both your professional life and your personal life: don’t sell yourself out.

So, how do you know when to break off the less-than-perfect work situation? Here’s my 5-step action plan.

1. Get Brutally Honest With Yourself

You probably know if you’re lying to yourself. We can surround ourselves with rationalisations, but at the end of the day, the truth will always out.

It’s a head vs. heart thing – you can tell yourself that your job makes sense, but if your heart isn’t in it you’ll feel flat and unfulfilled.

I could quote almost every line of Steve Jobs’ famous Stanford commencement speech, but perhaps the aptest:

“If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today? And whenever the answer has been no for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something”.

Look in the mirror and really confront yourself – if you don’t love what you do, it’s time to move on. Life really is too short.

2. Find Your Flow

As Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi explains in this seminal Ted Talk, ‘flow’ is a state of passion, of total immersion, that comes from doing what makes you happy.

Ultimately, finding your flow leads you to be happier and more successful.

‘That’s all very well’, I can almost hear you thinking, ‘but what if I don’t know what I’d love to do?’.

You’re not alone if you feel that way. Many people are held back from pursuing their passions because they don’t know what their passions are, certainly in a professional capacity.

The key to converting personal passions into professional passions is to look at the mechanism, not the action.

Say you’re a passionate cook. You love nothing more than spending an evening by yourself in the kitchen, perfecting a masterpiece which you found on the pages of Jamie Oliver’s latest book.

Now, you don’t need to drop everything and become a chef (although you could). Instead, examine your passion from an underlying perspective. What do you enjoy about cooking a grand meal?

• do you like working towards a clear, final goal?
• do you enjoy creatively tying elements together to form a complete whole?
• do you appreciate the power of process?
• do you enjoy the solitude?

Now, once you’re clear on what makes you tick, you can extrapolate. Many of these traits will help you enjoy not only cooking but writing, project management, design and so on.

When you evaluate your career options in this way, you begin to see that there are quite a few that you’d enjoy.

3. Get The Right Tools

The first step to pursuing a more fulfilling career is to make sure your initial presentation is up to scratch.

Idealism aside, it is a challenging job market at the moment and even more so if you’re hoping to transition into a different sector.

Whether you’re looking for a vertical or lateral move you need a consistent, professional, standout set of personal branding documents that convey exactly what you bring to the table.

Here’s a secret: you don’t need to be the best-qualified person for the job to get the job.

There’s no magic wand – you’re not going to suddenly walk into a C-Level role from mid-manager level, for example – but having a great personal brand elevates your presentation, aligns your skills and experience with the roles you’re aiming for, and ensures that your move “makes sense”, which ultimately gives you a better shot at making that move.

4. Become A Passive Job Seeker

In the world of personal relationships this is definitely something to avoid, but luckily in a professional context it’s de rigeur: line up opportunities before you resign from your current role.

LinkedIn isn’t just an online resume site – although a lot of people still treat it that way.

Use LinkedIn strategically to put your feelers out there. Make LinkedIn your daily habit – reach out to recruiters and HR managers at target companies, maintain an active presence in Groups and start connecting to influencers within your niche.

You don’t need to hand in your resignation and sweat it out at home to find your dream role – by being a passive job seeker you buy yourself time to find something perfect and minimise the risks associated with a career move.

5. Sharpen Up Your Interview Skills

A great resume and online presence will get you a foot in the door, but you’ll have to close the deal yourself in the interview room.

There are plenty of practical interview tips to help, but the real key to interview success is clarity.

Let’s come back to personal brand: your brand is more than a set of documents – it’s a statement of value. It’s your USP. It’s a narrative of who you are, what you add and where you’re going. It’s an authentic, consistent story that interviewers connect with.

Succeeding in interview begins long before the interview process. If you’re considering a career move, it’s time for some introspection.

Dig deep into areas like your goals and your motivations and reflect on consistent behaviour throughout your career – What are you good at? What are you not so good at?

Identify the strands that run through every role you’ve had – they’re what really defines you.

Key Points To Remember:

You can follow these 5 steps to a happier, more successful career: it sounds too good to be true, right?

Except it really isn’t.

For many professionals, job security can seem like the be-all and end-all but ultimately, settling for less than you’re worth will only ever lead to frustration and disillusionment.

You owe it to yourself to be the best you can be.

The pandemic changed how a large portion of the workforce views their careers, according to new data from LinkedIn. Most of those people say their views got worse.

A survey of more than 2,000 adults in the U.S. found that 47% said the coronavirus pandemic changed how they feel about their careers. Nearly three-quarters — 73% — of those who said they viewed their careers differently due to the pandemic said they felt less fulfilled in their current jobs.

More than half of all respondents — 51% — said they’ve thought about changing jobs within the last year. More than a third — 35% — said they’ve already changed jobs since the start of the pandemic.

The results of the survey, which was conducted by Censuswide for LinkedIn, likely don’t come as a surprise to you if you’ve been following any news about the labor market over the past several months. 

The reasons behind these results will likely resonate with some of your own personal experiences, too. For example, nearly a third of all respondents say they don’t make enough money to cover their living expenses. In fact, many said the money was a key motivation to look for work elsewhere.

The results made me want to reach out to LinkedIn members to learn their suggestions for making a change when a person reaches a low point in their job or career.

I can’t feature all of the responses in the newsletter, but you can check them all out by clicking here.

• “Feeling stuck or unfulfilled is often due to unmet (or unspoken) expectations,” wrote Chelsea Jay, who is a career coach. “Being honest about where you expected to be, what truly makes you happy, and what type of life you want to live is the start to moving forward. I encourage professionals to be honest with themselves and block out outside opinions and internal fears.”
• “I always have people write down 5 things they love about their jobs and 5 things they hate about it,” wrote Tejal Wagadia, who is a recruiter. “If they struggle with coming about 5 things in the love category, I tell them to write down 5 job duties they'd love to be doing. If they struggle with writing 5 things they hate about their jobs then they are probably burnt out and I recommend taking a mini-vacation to find themselves.”
• “Before switching to a new career or leaving their job, they better ask themselves where that feeling comes from and work on the causes,” wrote Luisa Meneghetti, who works as a consultant. “From my experience with clients, most of the times it can be solved by making adjustments or improving the conditions of their current employment rather than changing job, company or career path altogether. Turning page and making a fresh start is alluring but if the real causes of that feeling are left unexplored or are misunderstood, sooner or later they will transfer to the new job, company or career anyways.”
• “Self-reflect and get help from a therapist if in need,” wrote Sweta Regmi, who is a career consultant. “No job should cost you mental health. Is it you or a wrong job, wrong place, wrong boss? Wrong environment? Mine was a wrong job and a dead-end.”
• “Most importantly, know that your career is meant to evolve as you do,” wrote Tiffany Uman, who is a career strategy coach. “Don’t put so much pressure on ‘what should I do with my life?’, but rather ‘what should I do next that’s aligned with my driving motivators?’. It’s a lot more liberating taking it in stages like this, especially when re-evaluating what you truly want.”
• “I like Nii Ato Bentsi-Enchill, MA, Ed.M’s idea to keep a job journal,” wrote Erica Reckamp, who is an executive resume writer and job search strategist. “This can help you pinpoint if the issues are internal or external, temporary or long-standing. Then you can more accurately diagnose if you would benefit from a break, coach, counselor, or a change of direction.”
• “Think about what makes you happy,” wrote Ed Cassas, who works in talent acquisition. “What company, what culture, what type of leadership mentality, what type of vibe and day to day? What are your real strengths when your butt is in the seat? If your tactical, find a tactical career. If you’re strategic, then you get the drift. Why are you settling for your own Status Quo? Live a great work-life the way you live and hopefully love your personal life!”

What’s your advice for people feeling unfulfilled in their careers? Join the conversation.

▶ Want even more #GetHired?

I go live almost every Friday at 12:00 p.m. ET from the LinkedIn News page to discuss important issues affecting job seekers and to answer your questions about looking for work. I recently spoke with Jerry Lee, who is the co-founder and COO of Wonsulting, about different approaches job seekers can take to their next employer. You can watch the episode by clicking the image below or by clicking here.

I won’t be going live on Friday, Oct. 29, due to a LinkedIn company holiday, but I’ll be back the following week — Nov. 5!

▶ The follow-up

Becoming an expert in a specific topic is one way to increase your marketability in the job market. While that may seem like a daunting task, it may not be as difficult to become an expert as you may think. BJ Fogg, author of The New York Times bestseller "Tiny Habits,” explained in the last #GetHired that a person can become an expert with an investment of 40 to 60 hours. He suggests picking a very narrow topic. Then you need to learn everything about the topic. You should then add your own contributions to the field. Then, you should share what you know with the world (on social media and elsewhere). Lastly, you should listen to feedback from your audience. Here’s what people are saying about the advice.

▶ A lesson learned:

Trust was always a huge factor in my career. As a journalist, my entire livelihood could be destroyed if people thought I wasn’t trustworthy. I’ve learned firsthand that being trustworthy is something you constantly need to keep in mind when engaging with others. This LinkedIn Learning course discusses the ins and outs of being trustworthy. You can watch it below or by clicking here.

▶ Up next:

Seasonal hiring is underway. In the next edition of #GetHired, we’ll take a look at some advice for people who are looking at seasonal work and what they can do to make those roles benefit their careers.