One afternoon while I was in corporate America, I found myself peeking at the internal job posting boards, and it hit me that this was a cycle. I had a history of getting bored in a job every 12-18 months and looking internally for another one. I wondered, why do I keep doing things at work that felt monotonous? I realized I couldn’t keep department hopping at this organization. I had to dig deeper.

I worked for that company for 12 years and the organization had literally raised me. My coworkers saw me get married, have a baby, go through miscarriages, get divorced. Many of my friends and people in my social circle worked there. I couldn't even imagine who I was without also sharing that I worked there. 

My story isn't uncommon right now. A trend I'm noticing with my clients right now is the same deep questions about their career alignment and trajectory. They're asking questions like:

• Am I just bored or in the wrong role or company altogether?

• Do I want the promotion posted on the job board (are the demands worth it)?

• I loved this job at one point, why do I feel so drained?

• Is this what I still want to be doing by this time next year?

And in the next breath they utter, “…but I don’t want to make a change and regret my choice.”

I feel this deeply! When we've been in a position for a long time or using a set of skills that we can repeat in our sleep, the fear of an uncertain future almost becomes more scary than the boredom and burnout we are currently feeling. 

From my personal experiences, and with conversations with my clients, I’ve developed a “career alignment check” which includes five value-fit questions you can ask yourself to help you know if it's time to stay or go in your role or to help you determine if a promotion is right for you!

This alignment check ultimately helped me discern that it was time for me to make a courageous career move, and I did! I found a new role leading HR at a small tech startup. With my alignment questions in hand (see below), I felt more confident that this would be the right move. The new role and organization would use my best skills and talents, even though I still felt “scare-cited” to make such a big leap.

🔥 Are you in the right career or leadership role? How do you know if your next move is right for you or if you should stay in your role and rework it? Try this five-question alignment check:

PUT THIS IDEA INTO ACTION

How did the alignment check go for you?

What do you do when you find yourself out of alignment in your career, recognizing that you may be in a role that isn't in the best alignment with your skills, talents and values?

1. Have compassion for yourself:

Climbing the ladder of success, only to get to the top to find that it’s leaning against the wrong building is HARD. It’s not just a “Oh, good to know. I’ll climb back down and switch buildings and climb back up.” It requires a loving untangling of our “do” from our “who.” What I do is not who I am.

2. Make a list of your 'don't wants':

Sometimes in hard moments, it's hard to know what you want. However, it can be easier to name what we don't want. Start with a list of what is no longer working.

3. Replay your highlight reel.

Think about the projects you've loved most over your career. What has “geeked” you out? Where did you feel most in flow? These are clues you are using your best skills and talents. What surged your energy?

4. Talk to your current leader

All too often, we get bored or uncomfortable in our roles and we look at the job posting board or another organization to resolve it. This can create an endless cycle because we avoid fixing our current situation first. Talk to your leader about work that excites you and ask if you can be put on more projects that use those skills.

The best, most motivating career for you is one that aligns to your values and allows you to use your best talents. Many of my clients find this by reworking their existing role and having hard conversations. 

However, after having internal conversations first, some decide to make the move (like I did) and be clear about their expectations and boundaries so they don't recreate old dissatisfaction in their new role.

TRY THIS NEXT: Write down your top 3 “skills I MUST use at work” to be engaged and using my best talents. Communicate these to your leader.