What to Do if You’ve Hit a Professional Ceiling

Burnout, boredom, frustration — these are just some of the signs you’ve hit a professional ceiling.

The good news is that there’s always a way out of the rut, so long as you can nail down the cause. Below, we’ll offer some common reasons why you might have lost momentum in your career, and how to solve for each.

First, diagnose the problem

Why you’ve stopped growing at work usually comes down to three factors: you, your environment, and the job itself.

You’ve gotten too comfortable

We’re sorry to say it, but you may be the problem with your career. 

In a lot of instances, progress stagnates because we’ve gotten too cozy where we’re at. Because of how much time we’ve spent in the role, or overconfidence in our abilities, or acceptance of (or really resignation to) how things are, we stop asking questions, pushing boundaries, and taking risks. We continue the same ol’ song and dance — so it’s no wonder we feel stuck.

You lack the proper support

You’re not complacent. In fact, you’re still just as motivated and open-minded as you were when you started the job. Yet no one seems to notice your hard work, or is invested in your success.

If this is the case, it’s your environment that’s to blame. This could be thanks to a poor manager, unfriendly coworkers, or a company culture that doesn’t value collaboration, personal growth, and innovation.

You’re in the wrong career

You can have the most perfect work setup — a great manager, supportive colleagues, a cool job — and still feel lost. From here, you have to consider whether you’re on the wrong path.

This isn’t to say that your life has been a waste up until this point. Consider, rather, that what used to light that fire inside you no longer does, and that as we get older and experience more of the world, our interests may shift. Be grateful for and proud of what you’ve done, then let it go.

The solutions

Now that it’s becoming clear what the problem is, it’s time to break through the ceiling and supercharge your growth and happiness!

Switch up your routine

When you get too comfortable, you lose sight of why you pursued this job in the first place. You also stop doing anything out of the ordinary, which further leads to apathy. You can break the cycle by switching things up in big and small ways:

• Make a goals list: When you write your goals down, that first step often creates a ripple effect toward achieving them. Use the STAR method to make them feel more attainable — specific, timely, action-oriented, and realistic.
• Say yes to something new: Raise your hand for a project outside your daily duties. Attend a training seminar. Agree to that happy hour meetup you always avoid. You don’t have to do this all the time, or when you’re not in the mood, but try it out every once in a while and who knows, something unexpected may occur.
• Break old habits: Maybe you always pack a lunch or check your email first thing in the morning. Today, try going out for a meal or leaving messages unread until the afternoon. Small changes such as these can make the day feel less monotonous and help you flex new muscles.
• Talk to people you trust: An accountability partner will shed further light on what’s holding you back, encourage you to expand your horizons, and advocate for new opportunities on your behalf.
• Build a new skill: This won’t just get you out of your rut — it might also come in handy when you want to get promoted, transition out of your niche, or contribute to meaningful initiatives. Building a new skill can be done through self-taught means, like watching YouTube videos or launching a side gig, or through educational options like bootcamps or online degrees.

Find your people

You need to alter your environment, not your work. Here are several options to explore:

• Network internally: If you don’t get along with your boss or coworkers, who do you get along with? Are there other employees in or around your team you trust to help you take on more responsibility, get leadership buy-in, handle a tough manager, or even make an internal transfer? 
• Foster community externally: Maybe leaving your company isn’t an option right now. An external community, be it a Facebook group of fellow engineers or friends and family in related industries, can give you the emotional support you need to get through whatever hurdles you’re facing. Plus, those connections can be useful down the road when you’re ready to make bigger moves.
• Job search: If solving the problem from the inside just isn’t in the cards for you, you’re probably best off looking for a new job where you feel supported and appreciated. Take your time and don’t be afraid to be picky when it comes to vetting a team’s dynamic, management style, and priorities around individual growth.

Make a career change

A new job in the same field isn’t going to cut it if you hate the work_{Why You Hate Your Job and What to Do About It}. Making a career change can be scary, but less so if you follow these steps — all of which can be taken without quitting your current job right away:

• Decide at your own pace, in your own way: Nothing needs to happen overnight — and if you rush this decision, you’ll likely regret where you end up. You can dip your toes into different industries through a variety of options, such as reading books, talking to a career coach, taking career quizzes, or networking with industry experts.
• Sign up for a bootcamp or online certification: There are tons of reasonably priced online courses and bootcamps (like TripleTen’s!) that teach you crucial skills, allow you to practice those skills in a real-world setting, and support career changers through all stages of their job search.
• Freelance, start a side gig, intern, or volunteer: Doing the job in a part-time capacity can expose you to all the ups and downs of your future career, all while padding your savings and building up your portfolio and skills toolbox.
• Work on that tailored resume: Your resume is going to need a rehaul in order to attract recruiters outside your expertise. Luckily, all this requires is identifying and highlighting your transferable skills_{How to Land Entry-Level Tech Jobs With No Experience}.

Rex Rodriguez was once in your shoes

‍Rex Rodriguez_{Breaking Through a Professional Ceiling: Rex Rodriguez’s TripleTen Story} used to be just like you: In his role as a Salesforce developer, he hit a professional ceiling. “I had always been self-taught, until I finally reached the limit of how much I could teach myself,” he said.

So he decided to sign up for TripleTen’s Software Engineering bootcamp, which not only taught him new programming languages and ways of building tech, but also provided mentors he could lean on as he applied for — and eventually landed — a new role.

His work before TripleTen may have felt stale, but he said the bootcamp never did. “Overall, there’s not really a typical day of bootcamp. Some weeks were full of coursework, completing online lessons, while other weeks were full of projects,” he explained.

And because of the constant motion he experienced in the classroom, he’s since baked growth into how he approaches his career. “That’s being a developer — you’re always learning,” he added.

Want more advice? Sign up for our newsletter

Hitting a metaphorical career wall is just one of many concerns we see job seekers and professionals alike face every day — which is why we’re constantly writing about ways to mix things up, find your passion, and succeed in tech and beyond. If you’re eager for more career advice, you can sign up for our free newsletter to get all the good stuff right in your inbox every month.