Career Stuckness: Escaping the Career Quagmire
As I embarked on my research for my next book on career belonging, I kept running into something odd. My clients, my friends, even my self, were hitting the same wall- I call it a career quagmire. You probably know what I'm getting at just by reading those words.
Created with DALL-E, hence all the spelling typos, which makes it even more of a quagmire in my opinion ;)
For my nonconformists, non-traditionalists, hybrids and nonlinear career path followers, you've probably been through at least one, if not many, career quagmires. They're more than a career transition or pivot, yet those can be precursors of a career quagmire.
Quagmires arise when people change jobs, hold multiple roles at the same time, change careers, can’t find a career they like, can't get the career they want, or can’t get their career to take off.
Some people call this the messy middle, limbo, liminal space or being stuck. I call it a career quagmire because it's a sticky predicament without clear answers, solutions, or a way forward. More like a puzzle to figure out than a room without any doors or windows.
Quagmires invite curiosity to investigate the situation whereas being in limbo implies waiting. I prefer the former.
What do you do when you find yourself in a career quagmire?
That's what I want to share with you today.
These moments need to be called out and treated with the attention they deserve. If you're not in one now, wonderful, but someday you might be, or you might know someone who is, so share this with them.
Types of Career Quagmires
Career quagmires can feel overwhelming, daunting, and destabilizing They throw your world into chaos. There are all kinds quagmires you can encounter, especially when you wear multiple hats as a hybrid professional.
Here are the most common career quagmires I heard during my focus groups. These snapshots give real-life examples of the challenges people face when trying to find their way from unfulfilling careers to where they belong.
(*Names have been changed for anonymity.)
Career Defined By External Expectations
Sam's first career was chosen for him by his family. He felt stuck because it wasn’t what he wanted. Although he was successful in the family business, he struggled with the disconnect between external expectations and his internal desires. Many years later, he transitioned into software development and then to landscape design, where he finally found more satisfaction and fulfillment.
Early Career Disillusionment
At age 26, Jean had already reached the title of senior director. "Now what?" she asked herself, feeling disillusioned despite achieving this milestone. She felt empty inside and questioned if this was all there was to her career. Reaching so much success early on caused a deep sense of career confusion.
Career Exhaustion
Daria didn’t plan on changing jobs multiple times, but life circumstances, such as layoffs, forced her into it. Twenty years into her career, she found herself emotionally exhausted and uncertain about her next steps. The constant upheaval left her feeling stuck, unsure of what she wanted to do next, but knowing she couldn't continue on her current path.
Frustration with Job Titles and Labels
John was frustrated with trying to define himself within the narrow confines of job titles. Despite being skilled in fundraising, he didn’t feel that it accurately represented his work in program design and workforce development. This disconnect left him feeling uncertain about his professional identity, a common experience in career quagmires, and not knowing where he fit.
Loss of Sense of Self/ Professional Identity Crises
A professional identity crisis is a period where you feel unsure of who you are in your work and question your sense of self and your value. You don’t know how to explain yourself to others or even to yourself. This internal turmoil signals you’re yearning to find your self.
Illia couldn't answer the question, "What do you do?" She had lost a sense of who she was besides her job title, which wasn't an accurate depiction of her abilities. She was talented and capable at so many things, but being a jack-of-all-trades made people think she was a master of none. Illia didn't know what to call herself. She couldn't find the right combination of words. Her lack of clarity made it impossible for others to see her the way she wanted to be seen in her work.
From Quagmire to Clarity
Perhaps you're familiar with one or more of the examples above. There are many other types of quagmires as well. Whichever type you find yourself in, knowing you're in a career quagmire is the first step.
After acknowledging it, next ask better questions about who you are and what you need in your career. This is how to navigate out of the quagmire and towards a career where you feel seen, known, and valued- my shorthand for finding career belonging.
Here are a few tips:
Get to know your professional identity: How do you see your self in your work without a job title? This is critical to understanding what makes you you so you can align your career desires, skills and actions with your true identity.
Shift from external to internal validation: Instead of seeking validation from others, rebuild your sense of self-belief. External approval is something you have to constantly chase after and prove, but internal validation is an endless supply. You are enough and you care capable.
Change focus from achievements to how you want to feel and what impact you want to make in your work. Moving from external measures of success (such as job titles, salary and societal expectations) to focusing on what truly matters to you is a big reorientation. Define success for yourself, on your own terms. What are you chasing after and why? Revising your perspective leads to a reassessment of your career, highlighting confusion and the internal struggles you really need to deal with to overcome your career quagmire.
Career Quagmires Can Be Existential
The thing I find most interesting is that existential questions arise in career quagmires. I've narrowed them into what I call the three career power questions:
Who am I in my work?
What does that mean?
How do I want to be seen, known, and valued in my work?
When you can answer these, the result is knowing what you need to do to solve your career quagmire and find career belonging. Reflecting on these questions requires your truth and true self to emerge. It will take time, tools, and support to find these answers, but the effort is worth it.
Remember, career quagmires may feel overwhelming, but they are growth edges and opportunities. By acknowledging where you are, shifting your focus to internal fulfillment, and asking the right questions, you can navigate your way out of the quagmire and toward a career that truly belongs to you.
Have you ever gone through a career quagmire? I'd love to hear about it. Send me a note.