Today, I want to share with you an exhaustive list of career moves you can make when you’re feeling stuck.

And if you’re feeling that way, you’re not alone. Turns out 85% of people worldwide are dissatisfied with their job in 2023.

I’ve felt this way in my career so many times I’ve lost count.

The first time, I became a ball of stress and anxiety. I saw only one path forward and thought I needed to quit asap.

Turns out that wasn’t the case. I’ve since learned this:

While your potential is limitless, there are only 6 next moves you can take in your career at any given time.

These 6 paths are exhaustive. They help you think through what’s possible for your next career move before you zero in on what it should be.

Unfortunately, many people only see the option right in front of them. They fail to consider there could be any other way.

Most people take the default path.

The default path is one their past experiences, personal connections, and media influences have told them is best.

They rush to make snap choices and as a result, they end up:

• Creating a career based around what other people want
• Getting trapped by comparison
• Living someone else’s dream
• Limiting themselves and their potential

My goal is to help you unlock your potential by thinking through what’s best for YOU… so let’s dive in.

Below are the 6 next moves you can make when you’re not satisfied in your role.

To add some color, I’m sharing my experience and how each has served me at different points in my career. Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t.

1) Stay on your current path

Sometimes this means riding out the current season.

Projects and priorities change often enough and you’ll inevitably enjoy some more than others. Sometimes, that thing causing you to dislike work is temporary.

I wanted to quit during my very first project when I worked in consulting as a new grad. My mom told me, “Stick it out for at least a year.” That project was temporary. I picked up some hard skills, became more resilient, and found my way to a project that catapulted my career.

Other times, this means looking to take on more responsibility and get promoted to the next level.

We have a natural desire to grow. If you’re feeling stagnant, make it clear you’re aiming for a promo and ask for opportunities to get there.

If you’ve already tried riding it out and tried progressing (or realized you don’t want the next level on this path), it’s time to make other moves.

2) Adjust the parameters of your role

Roles are more malleable than you think, though some are easier to adjust than others.

Have an honest conversation with your manager about what's not working. They may come up with ways to make it less of a drag or remove that responsibility altogether.

If your role isn’t so easy to adjust, you can always add to it. Volunteer to take on extra projects that are closer to where you want to be.

I hate feeling stuck, so I’ve always sought companies where it’s easy to change the parameters of your role and side projects are celebrated.

In consulting, I dipped my toe in a bunch of different industries, functional areas, and teams. I experimented to find what I did and did not like.

After consulting, I joined an early stage startup where I could “wear many hats.” The company encouraged side projects to flex beyond your role, which was exciting to me.

My initial role was a blend of account management, bizops, and product. I volunteered to take on projects to learn more about sales & marketing. As a result, I expanded the scope of my role, worked with teams across the business, and picked up new skills.

3) Switch to a new role at your company

If you’ve exhausted the scope you can push your current role, you may decide you need a new role altogether.

Changing roles internally can be an easier way to pivot to a new function than moving to a new company. It requires you to be intentional and transparent about your career objectives.

Have regular career development conversations with your manager, be a top performer in your current role, and take on side projects in the new area.

At my startup, I was promoted from individual contributor (IC) to team lead to director within a year (and I learned a ton). I love mentoring others but wasn’t ready to become a forever manager yet. I missed being a generalist focused on executing projects.

I was clear with my leadership about my short and long-term goals. When there was a business need, they asked me to step into a senior IC role on the Business Operations team. I could own special projects and flex to support across functions, which was ideal.

At a larger company, switching roles could mean a full interview process and competing against external candidates. But luckily, this is super common within the startup world. (For example, all the product managers at my startup were on the customer-facing team first.) When you build trust directly with key decision makers (the founders and exec team), you have more flexibility.

That said, switching to a new role isn’t always possible. And if you’re no longer interested in the problem space, it won’t solve your issue either.

4) Find a new job at a new company

Looking for a new role is a common one — the path most people default to right away when they’re not satisfied at work.

Option 1 usually gets ruled out as months pass being unsatisfied, but Options 2-3 are easily skipped. This path might also becomes the first option if you’re unemployed, which is 100% ok!

Most of the time, when you begin a job search, you evaluate both the role and company. Sometimes people shift roles and industries plus change levels and locations all at once (a major pivot).

In my journey, I got to a point in consulting where I no longer wanted to get promoted. That was a first.

I was tired of creating strategy decks for big companies and never knowing if it made a difference. I felt a pull toward building a product-led company alongside a tight-knit, agile team — I wanted to join a startup.

After a few months of thinking about it, I knew it was time to start the job search. It took me 6 months to get clear on exactly what I wanted and make the pivot from consulting to startups. I even took a sabbatical to focus on making an intentional transition (more on that later).

I took so long because I was highly intentional about my job search. I encourage everyone to be because there is an opportunity cost to taking a role you’re not excited by. You’ll end up needing to consider these options again far too soon.

5) Start your own thing

It’s never been easier to start a business.

In 2023, people are increasingly looking to make money from their skills beyond W2 work, some full-time and others as side hustles.

Your “own thing” could look like freelance work, starting a business, creating content, founding a company or fund, becoming a fractional leader, and so many other flavors.

I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur. Part of why I joined an early stage startup was to learn what it’s like to start something. I was clear with my founders from the beginning: my long-term goal was to start a business. (This was a big reason why I was able to try so many functions at the company.)

And this year I have!

I started a career coaching business on the side. I help business professionals make career transitions into tech, usually startups. I get to combine a bunch of skills I picked up in my various roles (content marketing, finance, client success) and learn new ones too (copywriting, sales, personal branding). It's been hard work, but insanely energizing.

Creating a side hustle or starting a business isn’t for everyone, but it’s a path more should consider.

6) Take a career break

Sometimes, you can’t make the next move without taking a break — or a break itself is the next move.

A career break can take a ton of different flavors like working on side projects, going back to school, traveling, writing, or full-time parenting. It’s a time meant for you to focus on something without the constraints of work. Figure out your finances first, but there are huge benefits if you can afford to take one!

When I was beginning my job search to go from consulting to startups, I was completely burnt out. My company offered a sabbatical program to take 3 months off unpaid, so I took it to recover and focus on myself.

During that time, I joined a community where I met hundreds of people in tech and learned how to run a job search. I completed a 30-day writing challenge, which was the first time I experienced the benefits of publishing online. I wrote mini-essays on mindset & behavior change, navigating career challenges, and the importance of community. They’re here in case you’d like to read :)

Without that conscious time to step away from my day-to-day, it’s unlikely I’d be where I am today!

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Next time you’re feeling unhappy about work, give yourself time to think through your next move.

With all the options in mind, narrow down to the right next move for you — or decide to make a few moves in parallel.

Over the course of your career, you may even make them all.

You can’t go wrong if you’re willing to pursue what’s right for you, right now.

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Thanks so much for being an early reader. Hope this helped you get to know me a bit better.

I’d love to do the same! Reply to this email to share a bit about you and where you are in your career right now. Are you currently trying any of these options?

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Chat soon,

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