Career comedowns
Stefanie Sword-Williams aka F*** Being Humble has broken down this underdiscussed (and often very relatable) feeling at work.
What is a “career comedown”?
It's that moment when you feel you’ve invested a lot into your career: time, energy and shifted priorities. But then you realise that perhaps that end goal no longer aligns with your values, lifestyle or current ambitions. Basically, you find yourself asking – ”is this all there is?”.
So what could trigger this?
There are plenty of factors that could contribute towards a career comedown, but here are some common ones:
Finding your colleagues and/or clients annoying
Realising your industry isn’t all that great
New company policies or restructuring
A feeling of boredom and underwhelm, perhaps you have hit all your “milestones”
Burnout and feeling overworked
You simply no longer like the path you picked when you were 18-years-old
Ok, but what can you do about it?
A career comedown is like getting the relationship ick. Once you see the problems, you can’t unsee them. You reach a point where you can no longer ignore your reality, and you know something has to change. The Stick, Twist and Tap Out method described in Stefanie’s book is designed to help you re-evaluate what you want and redefine your relationship with work. It helps you decide if you should stay where you are, try a new career, or learn to stop making your career your identity.
“I believe everyone will experience a career comedown at some point in their professional journey, but the worst thing you can do is ignore it. One of my favourite quotes from my book is, “You can’t add more days to your life, but you can add more life to your days” and that’s exactly how I want people to finish the book: feeling hopeful, and reminded that change is possible.”
But this is what we’re not going to do…
Quiet quitting. This is something that has grown in recent years, where people do the bare minimum at work. Although it can sound appealing in theory, it’s not such a good idea. Because even though you might feel like you’re reclaiming your life, what you’re really doing is abandoning your needs. The key is to find a better relationship with your work, not burying your head in the sand.
Some questions to ask yourself:
🤷♀️ Where am I currently settling?
🙅♀️ What do I need to add or remove?
🙍♀️ What is the cost of not making changes?
Career Comedown: What To Do When Work Isn’t Working For You by Stefanie Sword-Williams is out now!