How to Get Out of Your Mid-Career Slump

How to Get Out of Your Mid-Career SlumpHow to Get Out of Your Mid-Career Slump14The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you havent found it yet, keep looking. Dont tischsettle. - Steve JobsThat often-repeated quote from the Apple cofounder, taken from a speech he gave to the graduating class at Stanford University, offers great job-search advice for people who are just starting out in their careers. But dont settle may resonate even more profoundly for mid-career job seekers who have been plugging away at their career for years and still feel unsatisfied.Not settling doesnt necessarily mean holding out until you find your absolute dream job. Thats unrealistic. Instead, it may be a matter offinding work that doesnt leave you depleted at the end of your workday and feeling dread about the workday to come. It also may mean figuring out whether youve fallen into career complacency and are settling at work.Heres how to get motivated and get out of a mid-career slump if y ou feel youve settled in your careerUse short-term jobs to get to your career goals.Taking a placeholder job can be a way of building your resume and your confidence while you continue looking for more meaningful work. It may seem contradictory, but settling in the short term can be a bridge to something better down the road. Flexible jobs, temporary jobs, and seasonal jobs offer great opportunities for a paycheck and a way to sample the job market while exploring new career avenues.Be proactive in your job search to avoid stress and stay healthy.Being unhappy at your job can have a devastating affect on your health. Deciding to stay put in a job that stresses you out, rather than taking a proactive stance and searching for something better, can have lasting and detrimental consequences.Create a career vision to stay motivated.Weve probably all been asked the question in job interviews Where do you see yourself in five years? If youre sapped of ambition and bogged down in your curre nt job, you may be limiting your view of where you can go in your career. Maintaining a career vision can help you keep your job search energized.Set your own expectations at work.Companies dont settle for less when they set out to hire a new employee. Why should you shortchange yourself over the course of your career by making do with work that doesnt satisfy you? Dont let others set your goals for you- set your own agendaReaders, have you experienced the mid-career slump? How do you avoid settling for less in your career, and what keeps your job search energized?