Many people experience periods in their careers when they feel “stuck” — unsure of what to do next, unmotivated, or disconnected from their work. This is especially common for individuals who have been in the same role or industry for a long time. Although feeling stuck can be disempowering and difficult to interpret, it can also serve as a pivotal moment that prompts reflection, growth, and new opportunities.
The first step for anyone feeling stuck is to understand the underlying causes of that feeling. This often requires deep self-reflection and may benefit from external support, whether through conversations with a trusted colleague, a career guidance counsellor, a mentor, or even a psychotherapist. These interactions can provide insight into why you feel stuck and whether your current role still aligns with your values, strengths, and long-term goals. Effective mentoring, in particular, provides tailored support that helps individuals explore personal and professional determinants that influence career decisions.
Assessing your current situation
For many, the shift to working from home has revealed unforeseen challenges. While remote work offers flexibility, it can also feel isolating, reduce visibility, and limit informal networking — all of which can make individuals feel excluded from career progression conversations. Balancing remote and in-office work, such as attending the office one or two days a week, can support both productivity and social connection, contributing to a healthier sense of professional belonging.
Regardless of your circumstances, a proactive approach to career self-evaluation is essential. Begin by assessing your current role: identify your strengths and weaknesses, clarify what aspects of your work you enjoy, and acknowledge what aspects you find unsatisfying. Even if you do not plan to change jobs, reviewing and updating your CV can help you recognise accomplishments, track your development, and boost confidence. Similarly, ensuring your LinkedIn profile is current increases your visibility to potential opportunities — many recruiters actively search the platform to connect with promising professionals even when they are not actively looking for a new job.
The power of mentoring and career guidance
While self-reflection and practical steps, such as skills evaluation, are valuable, one of the most impactful resources when feeling stuck is mentoring. Mentoring — whether formal through structured programmes or informal through personal or professional relationships — provides personalised guidance, industry insight, and support that goes beyond general advice. Mentors can offer fresh perspectives on challenges, help clarify career aspirations, identify blind spots in decision-making, and support long-term planning.
Career guidance counsellors also play a crucial role by helping individuals identify transferable skills, understand labour market trends, and build practical tools such as CVs and interview preparation. However, career decision-making involves subjective, personal factors — such as values, confidence, and life priorities — that standard career guidance services alone may not fully address. In these cases, mentors provide personalised support that helps mentees interpret information and apply it meaningfully within the context of their unique career journey.
Effective mentoring fosters not only practical career development but also psychological empowerment. Mentors help mentees build confidence and resilience and can advocate on their behalf by providing references, introductions, and sponsorship opportunities — especially valuable for individuals from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds.
Formal and informal mentoring pathways
Mentoring relationships take many forms:
· Formal mentoring programmes — Often organised through educational institutions or employers, these programmes match mentors and mentees intentionally, provide structure and goals, and may include training for mentors. They are particularly effective at building confidence and employability skills, expanding professional networks, and offering real-world insight into industry expectations.
· Informal mentoring relationships — These relationships often develop organically through professional connections, shared interests, or mutual respect. Informal mentors can offer ongoing encouragement and customised advice without the boundaries of structured programmes. Both types of mentoring are valuable and can complement traditional career guidance services.
Expanding skills and networks
Feeling unstimulated or lacking development is another common source of being stuck. To reignite motivation, explore ways to grow your skill set. This could include learning new technical competencies such as coding, improving proficiency in tools like Excel, or even pursuing personal interests that broaden your capability and confidence. Learning new skills not only enhances career prospects but can also inject meaning and purpose into your professional life.
Equally, engaging in hobbies, sports, or community activities can improve work–life balance, expand your social network, and reveal passions that might guide future career directions. Shared experiences — whether through local sports, creative hobbies, or community groups — often lead to new insights, relationships, and opportunities.
Taking the next step
Ultimately, the decision to stay in your current role or pursue a new path rests with you. However, support from mentors and career guidance professionals can profoundly influence the quality of these decisions. Mentoring provides individualised advice, emotional support, and strategic insight that empowers individuals to consider both practical and subjective factors when planning their careers.
If you currently work remotely and feel disconnected, consider leveraging co-working spaces or shared hubs to reintroduce social interaction and professional engagement into your routine. This can help rebuild a sense of community, spark new ideas, and open doors to fresh perspectives.
Feeling stuck is not a career dead end — it is an invitation to reflect, seek support, and take informed action. With the right combination of self-reflection, mentoring, career guidance, and proactive skill expansion, you can transform uncertainty into opportunity and chart a career path that aligns with your ambitions and values.
