The Upside of a Career Crisis

There’s an upside to a career crisis?

Sounds ridiculous, right?  But there’s nothing like misery to stimulate action and introspection.  Turbulence was a big topic of conversation in my last few months at the US Department of Energy (DOE).  Whether your boss is a jerk, you’re overworked, or you really don’t like the content of your job, chances are you may be concerned that your career is not going as expected.   

I have had multiple periods when I hated my job or had a career crisis.  Rather than wallow (too long), what helped me was to dig deep to figure out what I really wanted.  In the two cases I outline below, these seemingly negative situations led me into new, unexpected and positive career directions.

What do I love and hate about my job?

Let’s go back to the mid-1980’s, I worked in commodities trading in one of the World Trade Center buildings in New York City.  It was one of my first jobs after college. I worked as a clerk in a large commodities trading firm, where I literally checked each handwritten trade made by our gold and silver traders to make sure they were captured accurately in the firm’s electronic tracking system.  I worked for someone I had no respect for, and she was a ball buster.  I was completely miserable.   It helped that I was contemplating graduate school.  I had always thought I would go the typical route at the time – either business school for a MBA or law school. 

However, this soul-crushing job led me to explore other avenues.  I went straight to the NY Public Library (we had no internet then) since I had no idea what options I had.  I worked with a librarian – yes – that’s how we did it then.  She helped me find which thousand page guide to graduate schools I should explore — to figure out programs that were of interest to me. 

I realized that the part of commodities trading that I liked best had to do with economic gyrations due to international incidents, leading me to look at programs in international affairs, with a mix of economics.  Not only did I end up applying to and getting into the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (whose first year was in Bologna, Italy – a big sell!), I was not at the World Trade Center on 9/11.  While it was years off, I could have easily stayed working in that WTC tower.  This miserable job led not only to a fabulous Master’s program, a year of living in Italy, and a new career trajectory, but it literally might have saved my life.

The Last Straw

My second example was at DOE, while working for a new boss who perfectly characterized the Peter Principle.  He was not only way in over his head, he was also vindictive. The straw that broke the camel’s back was when he denied my taking a vacation during one of the precious weeks before school started for my kids.  I realized this was the time to exit, and fast.  I immediately started talking to colleagues and looking for opportunities elsewhere in DOE.  Luckily, I ran into a senior manager, who I told of my dilemma. Coincidentally, he needed help and offered me a job on the spot. 

This negative situation catapulted me into a whole new area and really helped propel my career in a new, more interesting direction.  What I learned is that a chance encounter can change one’s situation, so be open to anyone you come across. Also, my situation had to get really bad to energize me to get off the ball and start looking.

The Upside

While you’re going through a horrible job situation, it can really mess with your self-esteem and overall mood.  However, what I’ve found is that it provides an impetus to be introspective and dig deeper than one normally does. A side benefit is that it humanizes you, making you look at colleagues, family members and friends with a more generous heart.  In all cases (more than the 2 cited here for me), these situations have gotten me off my rear and led to new opportunities I couldn’t have imagined.   Remember, nearly everyone goes through this.  It’s just your turn!  So, don’t despair if you’re so frustrated or miserable that you feel desperate.  Start the process – even with small steps — so that you too can find your next, more fulfilling position. 

Here are some recommendations for one stuck in a miserable job situation:

• Take the time to dig deep and figure out what you like about your job and what you hate. Write these down.
• Seek counsel with others in your organization or industry that you know, or even those you may not know but respect from a distance.  See what their view is of your situation.  They may have some helpful advice for how to navigate your boss or organization, or of other opportunities.  Approach someone who’s been around as a formal or informal mentor.
• When you talk with others, try not to be too negative or gossipy.  If you can’t help gossiping, do so only with very close colleagues.
• Expand your network by looking outside of your organization for meetings you can learn from or groups you can be a part of.  Even if you find yourself in a bad job for an extended period, this will help you at least enlarge your circle, widen your experiences and/or expand your knowledge.
• Be kind but honest with yourself about your work behavior and how you may want to change things going forward.  Is there something you did that could have affected how others react to you at work?  Are you as hard working, collaborative and amiable as you would want your co-workers to be?  Most of us need to make changes periodically to ensure we are at our tiptop shape!
• Exercise to relieve stress.  You will have some control, not to mention do something positive for your body and mind.
• Understand that changing a bad situation can take time.  Don’t despair …. Keep moving forward!

A related article I find helpful:

New York Times article, “How Early-Career Setbacks Can Set You Up for Success” by Tim Herrers