Longevity can yield positive benefits for your career. Through tenure at an organization, you gain institutional knowledge, develop relationships, and expand experience. Longevity can also have downsides. Here are some negatives to watch for, according to Cheryl Hyatt of Hyatt-Fennell Executive Search, who has been responsible for successfully recruiting senior-administrative professionals for educational and non-profit organizations:
1. You don’t look forward to work. We all have off days—or even weeks—but overall your work-days should not be spent watching the clock and counting the minutes until you leave. Every job has mundane facets, but it should also have interesting aspects that keep you engaged.
2. You see new coworkers as interruptions, not departmental opportunities. New employees bring fresh energy and new insight. Though onboarding takes work, it’s a productive disruption. If you view new colleagues as upsetting your status quo, you may be coasting.
3. You’re not growing. Proficiency in your job should allow you to refine your process and enjoy it more. If your duties have become rote, you may be professionally stalled.
Just because you’re stagnating at your current position, it doesn’t automatically follow that it’s time to move on. There may be opportunities to evolve your current position or duties. If you feel that you’re stuck, take time to take stock. Reflect on your career goals. How has your career path taken shape? How do you want to grow and develop in the future? Once you’ve considered some of the ways you’d like to grow, talk to your supervisor and associates about new initiatives you’d like to undertake.
For more suggestions on reinvigorating your current situation, read this blog post on breaking out of mid-career malaise.
