Career Plateau? 7 Clear Signs You're Stuck—and How to Break Free

Showing up day after day for a job that doesn’t develop your skills is tough on the mind (and the heart). After all, research suggests a career plateau is closely related to psychological distress — such as burnout, emotional exhaustion, and depression — that all jeopardize well-being at work.

The good news is you don’t need to remain stuck in a state of persistent job dissatisfaction if you don’t want to—you have the power to break free. Here are some ideas that can help.

The signs

While every individual has their own experience with a career plateau, experts agree there are two distinct types: a hierarchical plateau, which occurs when there’s a perceived lack of opportunities for promotion, and a content plateau, which is when job responsibilities feel dull.

If one of these types isn’t resonating with you at first glance, that’s okay. The following signs can help you determine if you’re suffering from a career plateau or simply a period of low motivation.

1. A lack of upward mobility

Professional stagnation is often the result of factors you can’t control. For example, working at a smaller-sized company or constraints like a hiring freeze. Sometimes, though, it’s the result of poor management practices — like being pigeonholed or even underdeveloped due to oversight.

Whatever the cause, it’s painful having nowhere to grow. If you truly can’t advance at work and switching employers to do so is unappealing_{Why You Hate Your Job and What to Do About It}, it’s probably a career plateau. No wonder 94% of employees say they’d stay at a company longer if it invested in their career development!

2. Reduction in skills relevance

As the rise of GenAI in the workplace_{AI Is Here. Is Your Job Vulnerable?} has demonstrated, new tools are being developed all the time that have the potential to fundamentally change how people perform their jobs. Which is why being vigilant for skill obsolescence, whether in your hard or soft skills, is so important.

It’s also why 77% of workers have improved their value by learning a new skill in the past year. If it’s clear that certain capabilities of yours will be automated, outsourced, or de-prioritized in coming years—yet you feel resistant to change—then it’s likely you’re ready for a new career.

3. Evolving career paths

With the half-life of knowledge now at five years or less, experts agree that some career paths are evolving to become less rigid and more responsive to change. So if you’re at a crossroads because the career ladder you wanted to climb no longer exists, know that you’re not alone.

The difference between this moment being a career plateau and a temporary setback is your appetite for flexibility. Do you have enough passion and curiosity to adapt? Or are you looking to invest your energy in something new that will challenge you in different ways?

4. Disillusionment with the field

It can be hard watching an industry you love change so significantly that you no longer recognize it. And yet, many fields are undergoing widespread transformation at the present moment, from hospitality, to finance, education, retail, and even transportation and the trades_{It’s About Health: Why Shift from Manual Work to Mental Work}.

So it’s easy to see why over half (52%) of job seekers are considering switching industries. If you’re feeling disillusioned and discouraged about the direction of your industry, as well, then it might be time to reignite your curiosity and passion by making the move to something truly new.

5. Choosing comfort over authenticity

Sometimes it’s easier to stick with what you know as opposed to taking a chance on the unknown. But if comfort is the only reason you’re staying in a job, you owe it to yourself to rethink your strategy. After all, staying at a job too long ranks as number three among workers’ top career regrets.

Although it can be intimidating making a major change_{Back to School: Why It’s Not Just for Kids} at any age or life stage, the positive impacts of a career pivot on your quality of life will outweigh any short-term spikes in stress you may experience. You’ll be a lot happier in the long run freeing yourself from feeling stuck.

6. Ending work days exhausted

Struggling through a tough workday now and then is bound to happen in any career. But when being drained is a normal occurrence, it might indicate a larger mismatch between your job and personality. It also doesn’t help that there's a significant correlation between work exhaustion and loneliness.

When that exhaustion starts to bleed into your personal life, including relationships with family and friends, then you know it’s a problem that needs to be solved. At the end of the day, no paycheck is worth feeling isolated, chronically stressed, and disconnected from yourself_{How to Recover From Burnout by Switching to Tech}.

7. Misalignment of values

What once attracted you to a profession may no longer fit as you move through different life stages or as your values change. For example, a job that offers a significant amount of travel is great for a young professional, but might be less ideal for someone with a growing family.

As such, personal values are a great way to determine if a career plateau means it’s time for a new profession altogether or if a smaller change will suffice. Keep in mind over half (56%) of workers say they won’t even consider a job at a company if they do not agree with its values. 

3 ways to break free

Now that you’ve examined your career plateau from almost every angle, it’s time to start making a plan to feel better at work_{11 Signs It’s Time to Switch Careers}. While there’s no such thing as a quick fix, the following ideas can help you either push past the plateau in your current field or begin the shift to a new career.

Seek support from mentors

A professional mentor or coach is an invaluable resource as you navigate a career plateau, since they can provide guidance and perspective on your situation. They can also help you assess your skill set for any gaps and point you in the right direction for upskilling and more.

How to find a mentor or coach if you don’t have one:

• Connect with local or national professional associations in your field of choice that offer mentorship opportunities.
• Ask previous managers you’ve worked with and who have mentored you in the past to offer feedback about your current situation.
• Ask your network for career coach recommendations (but be sure to vet them for impact, approach, and values alignment).

Build new relationships

It’s common to be surrounded by the same types of people in a job, whether you work as an elementary school teacher or a construction manager. Growing your network_{How to Network (and Stay Sane)} outside of your professional bubble can help you have new conversations and potentially even open new doors.

How to build relationships that lead to new perspectives:

• Join professional groups that introduce you to new areas of your current role or an industry you wish to break into.

• Attend industry events that help you meet new people and learn from them, whether through sessions or 1:1 networking.
• Set up casual coffee chats with like-minded professionals you connect with on LinkedIn and use the time to informally interview them on how they find fulfillment at work.

Invest in learning new skills

Whether you decide to shake things up in your current role or to solve your career plateau by shifting fields, you will most likely need to learn new skills. If you’re working full-time in addition to other responsibilities, it’s best to tackle topics one at a time and prioritize credible programs.

How to invest in learning new skills without wasting time:

• Identify gaps in your skill set based on your professional goals and rank them in priority order of impact on your value as a professional.
• Research your options for learning these skills, e.g. online courses, college programs, and professional development opportunities at work.
• Confirm program costs and understand any funding opportunities you may have at your current employer or those offered by programs.

See if it’s time you made a change

Still unsure what the right answer is for your career? We get it—there’s a lot to consider when navigating a career plateau. That’s why we created a short quiz to help you get clarity in just five minutes. Take it today and see how seriously to take your longing for a fresh start.