Dear Career Coach

I have built up nearly 20 years experience in my profession but I feel bored and stuck in a rut. I've been at the same job level for 5 years and I am not sure that I want a more senior position because although the money would be better, it also means more responsibilities. I keep thinking about whether I should change careers altogether as I don’t seem to be going anywhere, but I don’t want to waste all the experience I’ve gained in my professional area. What’s your advice?

Mid-life crises don’t just impact people by creating the desire for a new sports car or a new spouse; they also affect our view of ourselves and what we define as success.  Many professionals in their late 30’s and early 40’s grapple with their sense of achievement and identity, and quite often can feel dissatisfied with where they are.

Unfortunately familiarity can breed contempt and doing the same thing for a number of years, even when you love it, can lead to a point when life feels stale and we desperately want to feel energised and excited.  Whether that comes in the form of wanting a new relationship or a new career, it’s important to take a step back, to think about what’s really going on, and to ask yourself a question:  are you just running away from something that no longer excites you or are you running towards a real vision of change and all that it implies?

If you are bored at work, is it with what you do, or is it the case that the problem is not so much your profession but that the type of work that you are doing within it is no longer challenging? Would a change of company, sector or even country give you the impetus and challenge that have gone missing?

If you genuinely cannot see any other way to use your professional expertise, then it may be time to consider a change.  Think about the skills that you have developed and how these may be transferred to other professions.

Rather than make assumptions, undertake some research about what would be required if you wanted to change careers and needed to gain new qualifications.  Would there be exemptions from some studies if you are looking at an allied profession?  Are there examples of people who have transferred into the profession you have in mind from what you are now doing? How would the skills and experience you have gained be viewed within the new profession you have in mind?

It is never too late to change careers but you should be ready to trade down from the level of job you currently have and to sell your transferable skills confidently to another employer.  You will also need to show good reasons why you are making this change and what you will bring to an organisation, based on the skills and experience you have acquired to date.

Before you walk away from what you have achieved so far, consider whether you can banish the boredom by taking on new challenges in your current role.  Are there projects you can ask to be involved in or extra responsibilities you can take on to give you a better work experience?

Being bored is a state of mind and being that we do have some control over.  You sound reluctant to do what it takes to move up into a more senior role, but bear in mind that changing to a new career will also take effort, time and commitment.  But whether this energy would be better spent on improving your present career path is a question only you can answer.

All the best!