Have you been distracted at work lately or disinterested in doing your job? Do you find the days have become boring, time has slowed down and you do not seem to have the motivation to learn something new and perform at work?
These are telltale signs of career stagnation. If you feel that you are stuck in a career rut, here are eight tips for you to try and get out of it.
1) Commit to learning a new skill or acquiring new knowledge
Constant learning allows you to grow. Your relevance in the workplace is dependent on how you constantly strive to learn new skills or enhance existing ones. Similarly, your value increases in the job market if you have something new to offer.
2) Take on additional tasks or responsibilities at work
When you volunteer for more responsibilities at work, you gain valuable work experience. This also creates the impression that you are a team member who is eager to go above and beyond. A word of caution: you must see to it that your current work assignments are not compromised when assuming these new tasks.
3) Ask for regular feedback from your colleagues on how to improve the quality of your work
You cannot track your progress without a true picture of your actual performance in the workplace. The input of your colleagues, superior and manager are critical in determining which areas you are excelling in and which need further improvement.
4) Try the Ivy Lee method
At the end of each day, list down six things that you would like to accomplish the following day. Rank these six items in order of importance. The following day, begin by focusing on the first task. Upon completing the first task, move on to the next. At the end of each day, move any unfinished tasks to your to-do list for the following day. Repeat the same process daily. This method has been proven to increase productivity at work as it is simple, forces you to stay focused on a single task and complete it, and prioritise your tasks.
5) Apply the five-hour rule
Set aside five hours a week for learning and mastering new skills, allotting one hour a day from Monday to Friday. At the beginning of each week, plan and strategise the learning. Then, practise and apply your new knowledge in real life scenarios — reflect on the new information and carry out small experiments to test what you have learnt.
6) Practise context-based learning
You can quickly internalise new concepts or skills you have learnt if you apply them in real life scenarios or actual situations (as opposed to rote learning). Once you apply a concept or skill, you gain new insights that will reinforce your understanding of that particular concept or skill.
7) Find a mentor who can support your career plans
Seek out former superiors at work or colleagues who trust your abilities and character. Ask them to help you by providing advice or feedback. Or they may refer you to key individuals who can help you move a step closer to your career goals.
8) Take a vacation
Take a breather. Allow yourself some time away from your work. This may help you clear your mind and make it easier to look at your situation objectively. Are you nearer or further away from your career goals? What do you want to achieve in the next five or 10 years? These are some of the questions you would be able to answer more honestly if you have some quiet time to reflect.
With over 450 academic programmes for higher learning and professional certification courses for skills development, we provide opportunities for you to always stay relevant. To speak to one of our consultants, please call 8613 8989 or email us at [email protected]