Those who work within professional services usually hold occupations in the tertiary sector of the economy and have undergone extensive specialized training or education. Physicians, attorneys, accountants, and other professionals with these credentials often emerge from their education or training feeling idealistic about the road ahead. After investing so much into their vision and the future, they are eager to embark on the career path that will empower them— both financially and personally— to make a difference and create a fulfilling life. The problem arises when all of that idealism struggles behind setbacks and roadblocks that make their work feel stale and their soul feel stagnant. In other words, they become stuck.
Ways Professional Service Workers Feel Stuck
Responsibility
Whether financial or familial, professional service workers often feel the inherent responsibility to provide. After undergoing such a rigorous dedication of time, energy, emotion, and money into their chosen career path, these folks are sensing pressure to begin to succeed. Debt has collected, maybe the growth of the family has been put on pause, and they’re unable to live the life they envisioned when selecting this specific field of study and occupation. Supporting their families and flourishing financially are the benchmarks for reaping the benefits of such a steep investment. If these rewards don’t come, the feeling of defeat is frustrating at best, paralyzing at worst.
Specialization
Picture this: a law student passes the bar in 2008 during a total economic recession. This newly minted lawyer’s passion lies in education, specifically Title IX compliance, but can’t find anyone hiring in this field. The natural gas industry is booming though, so they take the first job they can find as an oil and gas title attorney. Oil and gas is a far cry from the law specialty they wanted to practice, and advocating for natural gas ownership rights doesn’t spark that passion like working on behalf of women to battle sex discrimination. However, the money is good and the job security is stable.
Fast forward five years and the compliance field has opened wide up. Higher education institutions are hiring every single day for new compliance attorneys. This now seasoned oil and gas attorney is rising through the ranks within the energy sector, but has zero experience in education compliance. They have succeeded within their specialization but would struggle to break into the education field without any experience, especially not at the same pay grade. If they made the change, they might temporarily sacrifice profit for passion, so they feel stuck.
Steps to Becoming Unstuck
For these professional service workers, feeling stuck can generate issues of self-doubt, anxiety, and even other serious medical conditions such as heart irregularities. The purity of reason for diving into a specific field of study to better the world can fuel an existential crisis when someone is faced with the reality of feeling stifled by life circumstances, location, specialization, or other family and financial responsibilities. When confidence is low and the sense of claustrophobia feels high, professional services workers should ask themselves the following questions:
Where Do I Want to Be?
Look beyond the confining walls of the career that makes you feel stuck, it’s important to have a clear picture of where you want to be. Change can feel overwhelming but having concrete goals can empower you to visualize the end goal and motivate you to reach it.
What’s Standing in My Way?
Is additional training needed? Is lack of experience a roadblock? Perhaps a certification is standing in the way? Defining the specific obstacles might seem daunting, but it’s necessary to lay them all out and create a plan to either overcome or pivot.
What are the other options I’m not thinking of?
If the answer is pivoting, the next step is planning the potential alternate career paths for moving forward. Attorneys don’t have to always be litigating in the courtroom, and doctors don’t always have to be operating in the surgical wing of the hospital. Whether it’s teaching, researching, or consulting, setting the table with all of the options is key to becoming unstuck.
If you are a professional services worker who feels stagnant on your current career path, Dr. Delligatti can help you find the fork in the road and break through the barriers keeping you stuck. Contact her for more information or to schedule an appointment.