Dear Jobs Guru: ‘I’m caught in a rut at work and scared it’s too late to maneuver on’
Reader Declan has been in his ‘comfortable’ job for the last decade – and he’s worried it will put recruiters off. Jobs Guru James Innes is here with some advice
It’s easy to get stuck in a comfortable role(Image: Getty Images)
Dear James
I’ve been in the same role for nearly 10 years. I’m good at what I do, I’m well regarded and I’ve built up a lot of experience – but I’m starting to worry I may have become too comfortable.
Have I left it too late to move up, or even move on?
Declan, Bristol
Answer:
Not necessarily, Declan – but 10 years in the same role does raise a question: Have you been growing, or just staying? That’s the bit that matters.
Employers are not automatically put off by long service. In some cases, it can be a real strength. It can suggest loyalty, depth and solid experience. But if your CV makes those 10 years look like one long stretch of “more of the same”, then yes, it can start to work against you.
What employers want to see is movement. Not always a new title. Not always a new employer. But some kind of growth. Did your responsibilities increase? Did the scale of your work grow? Did you lead more, influence more, improve more?
If those things happened, you may not be stuck at all. You may simply be underselling your progress.
If they didn’t happen, that’s a different issue.
Staying in one role for years does not ruin a career. Standing still in it can. Time in a role is not the problem. Looking as though nothing changed is.
Top Tip:
If you’ve been in the same role for years, make sure your CV shows how the job grew over time. Employers need to see progress, not just permanence.
Spotlight On: Stuck in a Rut
A lot of people assume being in one role for a long time automatically looks bad. It doesn’t. What looks bad is a lack of development.
If your CV lists the same job title for 10 years with no sense of increased scope, bigger challenges or stronger results, employers may assume you stopped progressing. That may be completely wrong – but it is how it can look on paper. This is where detail matters. Team size, budget, projects, leadership, commercial results – these all help show that a role evolved, even if the title did not. Growth matters more than movement.
Get a head start in your job hunt with James’ new book, The Job You’ve Always Wanted – out now from Pearson at £16.99.
Our Jobs Guru, James Innes, is a best-selling careers author and founder of the world’s leading group of professional CV and resume writers .
