CAREER SPECIAL............. 5 WAYS TO Quickly Get Out of a Career Rut

5 WAYS TO Quickly Get Out of a Career Rut   You know you're stuck in a career rut when you're not excited about going in to work in the morning, when you feel you have nothing to contribute to an otherwise interesting project, or when you see yourself being passed up for promotions.Once you identify yourself as being in a situation like this, there are certain measures you can take to fix it. Brinda Dasgupta gets tips from experts on how to do so. 1 Introspect You may find yourself in a ca reer rut at any time, irrespec tive of the job or the career stage you are in. “At such times, a little introspection can go a long way. Sparing some time to think about what is bothering you will help you identify the reason you are in a career rut, and you can take steps accord ingly,“ says Shalini Natraj, sen ior director of human resources at Target India. 2 Be Proactive Even small, baby steps in rec ognising low engagement lev els and changing things for yourself will help. “Sign up for new initiatives beyond the current realm of your role that help you look at different things and different perspec tives. Speak to your manager or mentor to see if there are opportunities that you are not able to see for yourself,“ says Preeti Chandrashekhar, India business leader-benefits, Mercer. 3 Be Flexible Don't be rigid if you want to get out of a career rut. “An ability to be flexible and an ability to think forward will stand you in good stead,“ says Babu Vittal, head of HR, Shop Clues. Avoid falling into the trap of blaming the company and instead figure out effec tive ways to change the situa tion, says Natraj. 4 Embrace the New Brushing off the cobwebs on your resume will be a great way to haul yourself out of a career rut. “It is important to stay engaged at work. Find new ways and projects to oc cupy you. A change in work place may also be helpful,“ says Vittal. 5 Focus on Upskilling Technology and skills become obsolete or redundant very quickly. “One should constantly look at opportunities to upskill oneself whether in technology, domain or leadership skills in order to be relevant. Depend ing on the profession, one can look out for any macroeconom ic changes, such as in regula tions or technology, and be prepared when they happen,“ says Chandrashekhar.

Dec 13 2016 : The Economic Times (Mumbai)