6 Habits Keeping You In the Rat Race.
Read time: 4 mins
These six habits are keeping you in the rat race – no strategy, same old skills, playing the victim, failing to adapt, one source of income, only chasing after money
One of the most common questions I get in career coaching sessions is:
“I feel so stuck in place. How do I ever get ahead?”
I’ve noticed a pattern.
Most people have formed habits over years of working and become so engrained that they’re hard to identify.
But it keeps them stuck on the proverbial hamster wheel, spinning endlessly through a series of career disappointments.
So, what are the habits that keep you stuck in the rat race? And more importantly, how can you overcome them?
Habit #1: Neglecting career strategy
Too often, people start their careers without any end goal in mind.
They hop from job to job without any thought. Others stay in jobs too long. Or worse, they allow their employers to choose which jobs they should do (the old “tap on the shoulder” trick). Only to end up stuck in a dead-end career.
Instead, job seekers should be focused on implementing a solid career strategy as early as possible.
A solid career strategy can help eliminate:
- Job hopping/disjointed work-history
- Being passed by for promotion continually
- The need to accept any job that comes your way
Yet many people wing it throughout their career, hoping to stumble on a promotion or great job opportunity.
HINT: I’ve never encountered a truly successful person who didn’t have a plan they were working toward.
With a solid strategy, you’ll have a more desirable resume (one that recruiters will fight over), higher income, and a more fulfilling overall career.
Habit #2: Not developing unique skills
Increased competition is one of job seekers’ biggest challenges in today’s job market.
And with increased competition, comes the need to stand out.
In other words, how are you different than the other 1000 candidates in my inbox?
Here’s a hint: develop unique and marketable skills.
Let’s give a relatively extreme example.
An average house cleaner charges $200 to clean a house.
But a bio-hazard cleaner (the ones who clean up crime scenes, etc.) makes north of $50,000 for each job.
One person has basic skills with a very low barrier to entry.
The other has a differentiated skill set and certifications with little to no competition. And as no surprise, the rate they can charge speaks for itself.
When you master the skills and abilities that are highly in demand but rare and difficult to acquire, you automatically place yourself in a position of power. Ask yourself: What do you possess today that truly sets you apart from the competition? If you cannot answer with conviction, that’s where you need to start.
READ: The worst way to find a new job
Habit #3: Playing the victim
I see this all the time on my social media. Someone will say they’ve applied to 1000 jobs but have yet to get a single offer. And that job seeker often throws their hands up in the air after repeated rejections, declaring:
“Hiring is hopelessly broken”
“Recruiters are worthless”
“Companies don’t know what they’re doing”
But never once look at themselves in the mirror.
Listen, hiring is broken in many ways. I 100% agree.
But oftentimes, I also see someone who needs to adapt their approach.
They refuse to consider that their resume isn’t working, refuse to customize it, and have no network or personal brand to speak of. (Heck, many even refuse to use LinkedIn.)
To top it off, they often have very sporadic work histories or lack even some of the basic skills to stand out.
So yes, hiring can undoubtedly be improved, and sure, some companies and recruiters suck.
But when you play the victim, you give your power away to companies that aren’t hiring you. You depend entirely on them “giving you a shot, ” and you blame them when things don’t go your way.
Not precisely what becoming the CEO of your career means.
Habit #4: Not adapting
When you’re looking for a job, or trying to move forward in your career and repeatedly failing, it’s time to change your approach.
I made a video of a guy who applied to 1000+ jobs with no luck.
And he just acted as the victim. He didn’t adjust his strategy.
Never once mentioned he changed his resume. Never leveraged targeted networking to increase his callbacks or do anything other than smash the apply button.
In a competitive (read: crappy) job market, doing the same thing that hasn’t worked in the past won’t cut it.
If you are not getting the desired results, it’s time to adapt.
Otherwise, you’ll keep getting average (or worse) results and stay running on the career hamster wheel.
Remember, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result.
Habit #5: Only chasing money
The number one reason why people leave jobs voluntarily?
A bad boss.
The second most common reason?
Money.
And who can blame them? We’re all working to make money to support our lifestyle, and hopefully retire comfortably.
But chasing only money will almost certainly stunt your long-term career growth.
Why?
Because you’re liable to make a decision that doesn’t align with your long-term career destination.
Oftentimes, the BEST opportunity isn’t the one that pays the most.
Suppose you had to decide between two similar jobs. One pays $5k more than the other but offers no career pathing or mentoring. But the lower-paying job gives you better access to more opportunities and a clear path to promotion a couple of years later.
Choosing the lower-paying job might bring less wealth today, but it may unlock considerable advancement later.
But if you choose the wrong job, you may only know it once it’s too late.
(Trust me, creating a strategy beforehand is much easier than fixing a career mistake you made years ago!)
The Solution
Developing a career strategy is the fix for career stagnation (even during your job search). This means knowing exactly where you’re going and the fastest path to getting there.
Seems simple enough, but so few people have one.
When you have a solid career strategy, these habits suddenly become obsolete because you’ll realize they no longer suit you.
Your self-limiting beliefs (and habits) keep you running on the hamster wheel.
So, if you’re ready to reclaim control of your career, recognize which habits you still need to work through.
And take the actions necessary to push past them.
It all boils down to career strategy.
Whenever you’re ready, there are two ways I can help you:
1 – If you’re still looking for traction in your business, I’d recommend starting with an affordable course:
The Ultimate Career Blueprint: This course is the MOST critical puzzle piece. Learn the best strategy to achieve your career goals with authority and how to determine your career destiny. I highly recommend completing this course first, before starting your next job search.
Resume Rocketfuel: This best-selling course will teach you the exact system I use to write your own professional-quality resume, quickly and easily. (ATS-approved templates included!)
The Ultimate Jobseeker Bootcamp : This A-to-Z guide takes you from job search to offer negotiation, providing detailed, recruiter-proven strategies. Don’t leave a single dime on the table ever again!
Unlocking LinkedIn: Walks you step-by-step through setting up a profile for maximum discoverability, techniques for accessing the hidden job market, and cutting in front of the long application lines. Learn how to skip the recruiter altogether!
2. Gain extra personalized clarity with private 1×1 coaching
Have a specific question or strategy that requires more tailored help? I offer limited private coaching sessions. My clients have had too many “ah ha!” moments to count.
Happy hunting!
-Bryan
