Career EQ

Part I, by Jane Lowder, Max Coaching

The band Talking Heads wrote a song about that Alice-in-Wonderland-like feeling of waking up in a reality and wondering “How did I get here?” How many of us have had that very same thought in relation to our career?

“I’m 36 and I’m still doing [insert job].”
“I’ve been in [insert industry] for 10 years, and I don’t even enjoy it.”
“I’ve just done whatever came along without thinking about what I really want.”
Does this sound familiar?

I believe that if I took a poll, a great percentage of people would say that at one time or another in their career they have felt stuck, unhappy, stressed and constantly tired in a role, but have not done anything about it.

Of course there are many legitimate reasons why people stay in roles that are not aligned with their interests, skills, goals and preferences. This can include financial, relational or geographical commitments. However what I am really curious about are the reasons why when all the signs say “GO!”, people choose to stay.

I have a theory that many of those reasons would boil down to the first of the emotional intelligence competencies; self awareness. Self awareness is inclusive of accurate self assessment and self confidence.

In part II of this post I will examine these competencies and their impact on career choice and positive action. For now, I want to hear from you. What are the reasons, whether personal or observed, that people stay in a job when all the signs say to go?