Lost in your career path? Here’s your guide to move forward
There’s no straight career path except in Hollywood movies. We all have a fair share of trials and errors, with some ups and downs, before finding what actually rings our bells.
However, sometimes, you might end up spiraling into a blank board with no idea of what to do or if you’re actually doing the right thing. You end up wondering if you should be sitting at the corporate desk as an accountant or if you should be out there freelancing. Or maybe you need a total reskill since your current career path isn’t giving you the drive you need.
It happens, and you’re not alone.
In this article, we’ll explain why most people’s career paths get all wound up and how you can get back on track.
Dig out the problem
Quite a number of things can throw your career off balance, but the most common is layoffs. According to TNN, the global layoff count in the first six months of 2024 went above 95000, with expectations for a double figure by year-end.
By the way, most laid-off employees face the difficulty of getting hired by another high-level organization. And you still have to battle with AI agents taking over your roles.
Workplace culture and ethics could also be a trigger. McKinsey’s survey found that a quarter of employees suffer burnout—a feeling of over-exhaustion—at work, and 76% of respondents in a report by Flexjobs say workplace stress affects their mental health.
“Recently, boreout—a state of disengagement which occurs when you lose your sense of fulfillment when completing certain tasks—has taken a disruptive lead as well. For instance, you may find yourself repeatedly handling monotonous, unchallenging assignments that fail to stimulate your creativity or sense of purpose”, Stanislav Khilobochenko, VP of Customer Services at Clario, adds.
This lack of engagement can lead to feelings of frustration, demotivation, and even anxiety, which can spiral your career choices into more chaos.
In other cases, it could be because of a misalignment between your current job and interests. For instance, if you’re someone who loves creativity and innovation but finds yourself stuck in a rigid, process-driven role, you’ll easily get bored out and feel stuck.
Five things to get back in track with your career
There is a laundry list of things that can make you feel lost in your career path. Once you find out which one (s) matters to you, you need to address them before taking any other life-changing decision.
Let’s see how to do that.
1) Take a Personality Test
Dr. Mo Ziaei, a Cornea & Vision Correction Specialist at Re:Vision, says, “Personality is a culmination of thoughts, patterns, emotions, and other intrinsic characteristics that distinguish you from the over 8 billion people on earth. That’s what makes you You and also aligns with your essential self.”
In her book Finding Your Own North Star, Martha Beck defines our essential self as the truest self, which is untainted and core to most critical choices. When our decisions align with the essential self, we feel really good and are somewhat rewarded neuronally. When the opposite happens, we feel worried, unsatisfied, and unfulfilled.
On the other hand, society influences our social self. We shake hands when we meet new people because Western culture tells us to, and we greet older people when we see them on the train because our parents told us to. These are all good, but not always.
For instance, imagine your high school teacher saying you’re not good at mathematics just because you failed two maths tests consecutively. You adsorb this perspective till it gradually becomes your personal belief too. When you choose a career in the future, you automatically rule out analytical roles in your CV, including engineering and science—further limiting your application field.
In reality, your personality might be purely analytical, but you have no idea, and you’ve let your social self shape your choices just because of a few failures. This could be detrimental since you’re leaning away from your essential self. You feel disconnected, working on the wrong desk, on the wrong thing, at the wrong time, and end up questioning your entire career.
A perfect case study is Laura Dobos, Founder of Boxifly. She initially pursued a career in law, believing her love for reading and writing made it the ideal choice. However, she realized that the structured and rigid nature of the field stifled her innate creativity. Pivoting from law, Laura channeled her passions into entrepreneurship, founding Boxifly, a company that thrives on innovation and out-of-the-box thinking.
So, what should you do when you feel your current or aspired job and interests do not align?
Take a personality test. Jung Carl’s personality test assesses your essential self and inborn uniqueness instead of characteristics ingrained by society. It helps you determine your strengths and weaknesses, areas you’d likely excel in, and areas that seem totally blank.
For reference, Extraverted, Sensing, Thinking, and Judging (ESTJ) people are known to be organized, practical, and natural leaders. They’ll excel as managers, administrators, military officers, or in any role that requires structure, decision-making, and leadership skills.
However, the same group might not necessarily do well in highly creative, unstructured, or abstract roles, such as artistic professions, research-focused jobs, or positions that lack clear guidelines and objectives.
Knowing which one is yours helps you avoid roles that drain your energy and, in the long run, muddle your career path.
To take Jung’s test, otherwise known as the MBTI, you can search online or visit platforms like CrystalKnows and Mindmetric.
2) Reflect on Your Passions and Motivations
It’s common to hear statements like “Follow your passion”. And sometimes, you hear, “Passion won’t make you money”.
Both are correct, according to Matt Wouldes, Founder at Land & Sea NZ. “Following your passion means doing what makes you happy. You get motivated to do more in return rather than getting bored or burnt out. But what makes you happy might not necessarily make you money. The two are essential for a streamlined career.”
So, does that mean you should neglect your passions?
“No. Instead, reflect on them, know what pumps your adrenaline and gets you to work faster, and align it with your financial goals. Your passion should drive your happiness and income at the same time”, Nick Esposito, Founder at NYCServers, advises.
A simple way to summarize your passion and drive is to use Jurgen’s ten motivational card games: CHAMPFROGS. The cards include Curiosity, Honor, Acceptance, Mastery, Power, Freedom, Relatedness, Order, Goal, and Status.
Arrange each motivation in order of importance. For example, if your first motivation is curiosity, you’re passionate about challenges. You want to achieve new milestones and try new things instead of staying glued to monotonous roles.
If your passion is helping people, honor and relatedness might top your list of motivations. Find roles that align with these motivations and apply for them, as long as they fit your personality as well.
3) Reconnect with Your Goals
As we grow up, life adds new layers to our plans and objectives. But fundamentally, we all have a single goal—whether to be happy, successful, and fulfilled or to leave a lasting impact on the world. It could be to become the richest man on Earth or populate Mars like Elon Musk.
Max Tang, CMO at GEEKOM, believes, “We lose track of our short and long-term goals over time. This leaves us feeling confused, unmotivated, and uncertain about our next steps. The gap between where we are and where we want to be can feel overwhelming, causing us to question our path and purpose.”
When that happens, it’s essential to pause and reassess. Take a step back to reflect on your core values, passions, and what truly matters to you. Revisit your goals, break them into manageable steps, and create a clear plan to move forward. This helps you realign with your purpose and regain motivation.
4) Go Heavy on Exploring New Opportunities
“Once you figure out your personality and drive, be unapologetically open to exploring different opportunities. You’ve been laid off from work, and you feel your new dream company might not fancy the track record? It doesn’t matter—shoot your best shot”, Murtaza Oklu, Owner of OMO Transfer, encourages.
You don’t think you’ve met the baseline criteria to be hired for a job? Still, give it a try. Put out your best self and show hiring managers why you’re likely the best fit to scale their business growth.
Lifei Chen, Founder of buysmart.ai, says, “Sometimes, you also have to upskill to add more value to your cover letter. For instance, if you’re applying for an e-commerce marketing role but lack experience with digital marketing tools, taking a course on platforms like Google Analytics or SEO can enhance your qualifications. Highlighting these new skills in your cover letter demonstrates your commitment to growth and makes you a more attractive candidate.”
In other situations, a muddled career path might be a cue to a career change. But this is a life decision, and you have to avoid as many mistakes as possible before sealing the genie.
5) Join Relevant Networking Communities
There are tons of communities out there, like Freelance Community for Developing Countries (FCDC), which focuses on helping people navigate their career paths. Moreso, you’re likely to find people who have gone through the same cycle as you in the past. Network with them and find out how they broke out to achieve their goals today.
In a Hubspot survey, 70% of respondents say they were hired as a result of someone they know making a connection or an introduction on their behalf. 42% of professionals found their current job through networking.
So, beyond just finding relevant people to talk to in your cycle, networking exposes you to new job opportunities that you might never get through cold emailing or outreaches. Leverage it by connecting with those in your niche of interest, let them know what you can do, and don’t hold back selling your skills.
Find a role that aligns with your interests and essential self
It’s easy for your career to feel muddled, especially if you were just laid off or your current role isn’t giving you the boost you seek. To get back on track, first, figure out the exact problem and address it. Then, take a personality test to ensure your roles align with your interests and essential self.
You should also reflect on your passion to know what drives and motivates your actions. Then reconnect with your goals and go heavy on exploring new opportunities. Lastly, join relevant networking communities to learn from others’ perspectives and also take advantage of referrals for career growth.
