How to find the spark in your career

We don’t run an agony-aunt advice column, but if we did it would probably look something like this…

 

Dear Firebrand,

Help! I’m getting bored at my job.

When I first started, it was all so exciting. We were a match made in heaven. But now, I’m doing the same things week in, week out. I’m secretly looking for new jobs behind their back.

How do I find the spark again?

Sincerely,

A top-performing employee.

 

We’ve all been there.

People are sticking it out in their current roles for longer, but are they happy? According to recent studies, the current average is 4 years and 5 months, and a YouGov survey from last year (How Brits feel about their job) revealed that 16% of don’t like their job, but aren’t doing anything about it.

So, how do you stay fulfilled? Relationships require work, and that includes the one you have with your career. While the honeymoon stage might be over, there is a way you can take back control at your job. Yes, the one you’re avoiding right now by reading this!

If you’re looking for a way to improve your work life without jumping ship, here’s the advice we’d give: Ask your employer to upskill.

You chose this job for a reason, right? Taking up new training and development opportunities will reignite what drew you to this job in the first place and may give you some ideas about where you want to take your career.

Balance out those back-to-back meetings with some you-time by scheduling new learning into your working week. You’ll get better at your job as any new skills you learn will either make your job easier or more interesting.

It’s also difficult to find a manager who doesn’t want their team to improve. It makes you, them, and the business look great, especially if you’re committed to using those skills to improve processes or start new projects.

Plus, flexing your initiative and dedication to your role and the success of the organisation will start to spread beyond your own team. Once you start to create a solid reputation, you’ll likely find more opportunities coming your way. Having the confidence to ask for more training shows them how invested you are in your professional growth and creates a clear path for career advancement (which could also bring a higher salary).

Ultimately, it’s in your best interest to upskill. The job market is changing, and you’ve just got to be adaptable these days. Arm yourself with all the skills and knowledge relevant to your role, and even ones that aren’t! Tech is so integral now that most people can get away with learning a programming language or improving their data analytics skills and finding a way to utilise it in their role.

The more skills you have, the bigger asset you are to any organisation.

If you’re not sure how to approach your manager with your training request, we’ve already written a guide to help you out.

Or, take a look at the Apprenticeships and courses that we offer.

Could one of them be right for you?