Tired of your same-old, hum-drum job?
You’re in good company. In fact, a recent VitalSmarts survey showed that a whopping 97 percent of employees reported they have a “Career-Limiting Habit” that holds them back from achieving their full potential. Among others, these include:
- unreliability
- responding with “it’s not my job”
- procrastination
- resistance to change
- projecting a negative attitude
If you’ve found yourself guilty of one of these bad habits, it could explain why you’re stuck in a career rut. The good news? You hold the key to jump-starting your career – but it’s up to you to take the first steps! Use these tips from Wood Personnel to develop better habits that will make your job more rewarding and challenging:
- Determine your goals. If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you ever get there? Imagine your ideal career. Write down a detailed description and display it in a prominent area of your workspace. Then, critically examine your current position. Could it potentially lead to your dream job? If not, don’t be discouraged. Commit to making your existing job a stepping stone to a better future, by being as engaged as possible and learning as much as you can.
- Identify barriers to career success. List all of the hurdles, pet peeves and problems that stand between you and your ideal job. These could include everything from having an apathetic boss to not having enough responsibility. For each obstacle, decide whether or not it’s within your control to change. Cross off the barriers you can’t control, and then brainstorm ways to overcome the remaining ones. Positive actions like these will help you get rid of the feeling of being “helpless” or “stuck” in your career – and put you back in the driver’s seat.
- Seek others’ input. Talk to outside experts, mentors or trusted colleagues to find out what you may be overlooking. Their insights may help you uncover new career alternatives, options for development or personal characteristics which may be holding you back.
- Monitor your attitude. The way you think about your career, boss and company can greatly impact your behavior. If you continually tell yourself that your boss is an apathetic jerk, you will automatically respond to him more negatively. Simply put, negative thought cycles promote negative actions that can undermine your career development. So if your current job, boss or company doesn’t live up to your expectations, try to adjust your attitude. Find the positives in your situation – and if you can’t, find a new job in Middle Tennessee as soon as possible.
- Consider temporary employment as a career-change catalyst. With a broad range of assignments and projects available, temping can be a great way to break into a new field – and get out of your career rut! If you choose temporary work, focus on assignments that will help you develop your skills and explore a variety of positions and industries. Contact Wood Personnel today to learn more about our temporary and direct hire positions in Nashville, Cool Springs, Hendersonville and Murfreesboro.
