Career Inertia: Are you asleep but don't know it?

Inertia is one of the most powerful forces in the universe. Simply put, inertia is “the tendency of an object at rest to remain at rest.”

But let’s expand that definition beyond the limits of a generic “object.” Inertia can be the tendency of an out-of-shape person to stay out of shape. Or the tendency of a person to remain in an unsatisfying relationship. 

Or the tendency of a person to see a job that’s gone stale as a total energy drain -- a trade of time for money, and that’s never a fair trade.

Most importantly for my work in executive recruitment, inertia can be the inclination of someone in an unsatisfying or unproductive career position to remain in that position -- even though it’s not in their own best interests. 

My work is based on seeing people who are like that, and helping them toward positive change.

Most people who are victimized by career inertia aren’t even aware that it’s happening. They don’t make the connection between what they’re feeling and where they’re working.

The following are three signs of career inertia that I see again and again. Do you recognize any of these?

You’ve lost that loving feeling
Remember how you felt on your first day at your present job? Was it like prom night? Was it like getting engaged? There was excitement, and maybe a bit of uncertainty about the future. But that was part of the fun. Because not knowing exactly what the future holds can be a lot better than knowing all too well.

That was then, this is now. Now you want your work to have some of the passion and risk of a love affair, instead of the inertia of a loveless marriage that continues “for of the kids.” Because there are no kids in your work. So why is it going on?

They won’t let you throw your fastball
Nothing is more frustrating and self-destructive than knowing what you can do, and not being allowed to do it. You want to start the car by putting the key in the ignition, but you’re ordered to let the air out of the tires instead.

There are lots of reasons people wind up in companies that don’t recognize their talents, or in jobs they’re not really suited for. Often it happens when an individual doesn’t realize that there are companies desperately in need of exactly what he or she has to offer.

If you feel that you’re not being used properly, don’t keep that feeling to yourself. I love it when clients share an unappreciated talent with me, and I love it even more when I can make a connection with a company that will appreciate that gift.

Stress has become your middle name
People live with all sorts of pain – not because it doesn’t hurt, but just because it’s what they’re used to.

They can even begin to take a certain amount of pride in the idea that they’re suffering for the greater good. They call that being a “team player.”

You might get a gold watch for being a team player at your retirement party, which would be ironic, because at that point their might not be a lot of time left.

Your work doesn’t necessarily have to be a day at the beach, but it shouldn’t be a day of root canal either. If that’s what it feels like, don’t try to turn your stress into a virtue.

Because there is another way. You may have heard how frogs don’t jump out of hot water if the temperature is raised to a boil slowly enough. As a matter of fact, frogs do jump out of the water. But mere inertia can keep human beings from making much needed leaps.

Let’s talk about it: tom@sternexec.com