Consult a Coach: I'm feeling stuck in my job—do I stay or leave?

Welcome to Consult a Coach, our regular careers clinic for Bazaar readers. Send us your work dilemma, and we’ll ask our career agony aunt—the industry professional, executive coach and motivational speaker Jo Glynn-Smith—to answer it.

Here, Jo advises a reader who is feeling stuck in their job and worries that their skills aren't transferable.

Jo says...

Dear Chloe,

Thanks for writing in with this concern. It’s completely understandable that you’re feeling stuck, as we often do when we can’t see any viable options, but I’m going to help you create some clarity around your situation and hopefully you’ll be able to move forward positively.

There are many advantages to staying with a company for a significant amount of time, especially if it’s a job you enjoy and a culture that supports your needs. The disadvantages are exactly as you have identified; that because you are loyal and reliable, you are rewarded with more and more small responsibilities, rather than considered for promotion. Sooner or later the role that you were employed to do has evolved into something that doesn’t quite make sense, on paper at least.

As I think you are alluding to, you only have two options: option one is to find progression in your current company, and option two is to look for opportunities elsewhere.

So, here’s some advice for each scenario:

Option one:

1/ Arrange a face-to-face meeting with your line manager. Be clear that you want to discuss progression so that they have time to prepare.

2/ Prior to the meeting, pull together a list of how you have contributed to the success of the company, your skills and strengths, and the value you bring. This will help you speak with confidence.

3/ Be clear about what you want and find out what you would need to do to get it.

4/ Finally, invite feedback. Even if you don’t get the result you want from the meeting, having feedback will help with self-awareness and personal development.

Option two:

1/ Even though your role has become an amalgamation of many responsibilities, you have key skills and strengths as well as specialisms that are transferable. Make a list of each.

2/ Highlight those that you enjoy the most and are experienced at—this is what you will use to help focus your search.

3/ Start your research on LinkedIn. Go to the jobs page and use the search bar at the top to search for keywords that relate to you. See what comes up—this will give you an indication of what specifically to be looking for.

4/ Once you have identified the type of role you are interested in finding, adapt your LinkedIn profile and CV to reflect that interest. This means using key words and highlighting your relevant experience. Recruiters on LinkedIn use AI to search for candidates, so the more key words you have relating to the roles you are looking for, the better.

5/ Finally, use your contacts: make a list and reach out. Most of our opportunities come from someone we know, so don’t be afraid to let people know that you’re casually looking for your next opportunity.

Good luck!

Jo Glynn-Smith is a transformation coach, speaker and personal-brand expert from London who works with leaders, entrepreneurs and businesses to help maximise their team or individual potential. Before becoming a coach, she spent most of her career in the fashion industry working at the highest level with some of the biggest global brands. You can follow Jo for more coaching tips and advice on Instagram (@jojoglynnsmith) or visit her website, joglynnsmith.com.

This article first appeared in harpersbazaar.com/uk in August 2024. 

Also read: Navigating the key transformations in different decades of a woman’s life
Also read: Five essential reads for deepening your understanding and connection with your body