What is my underlying career problem?
The problem you are experiencing is not necessarily the problem you need to solve
 A career problem often becomes apparent when something is not working. You receive no response to your applications, feel dissatisfied with your work, cannot choose between several options or find it difficult to explain your experience.
The problem is real, but the cause is not necessarily the most obvious. A lack of response may look like a problem with your CV, but may instead reflect an unclear direction or a weak connection between your experience and the roles you are applying for. Dissatisfaction may look like a need to move into a different field, but it may be linked to the role, the way the work is organised, the leadership or the organisation itself. Difficulties in explaining your profile may look like a communication problem, even if you have not yet clarified what professional value you create.
The key question is not simply:
What does not work?
Instead, ask:
What problem is limiting my options the most right now?
A career problem must be described in concrete terms
Career problems are often described with phrases such as “I am stuck”, “I lack motivation” or “I have lost direction”.
These phrases may describe the experience accurately, but they do not explain what is actually happening. Being stuck can mean that you cannot choose a direction, that you have chosen but do not get a response, or that you know what the next step is without getting it done. Lack of motivation can be due to monotonous tasks, limited influence, unreasonable demands, exhaustion or a decline in interest in the subject area itself.
A useful description is based on what you can observe: What happens, when does the problem occur, what have you already tried, what response have you received, and what consequences does it have?
The more specifically the problem is described, the easier it will be to investigate the possible explanations.
Several problems can be real without being equally decisive
Once the problem has been described in concrete terms, you can examine whether it recurs. A single rejection, difficult period or failed conversation rarely tells enough. If the problem recurs in several contexts, there is more reason to investigate what is behind it.
Several explanations may be plausible at the same time. You may lack a clear direction, have difficulty communicating your relevance and have difficulty being considered for the opportunities you are looking for. But the problems are not necessarily equally important in determining what should happen next.
The next step depends on which problem is most important now. Otherwise, you can work systematically on a solution without it solving the most important problem. The next step can either change the situation or provide better information about whether your assessment holds.
You do not have to find a definitive explanation for your entire career. You need to understand the problem precisely enough to choose the next relevant step.
The constraint may lie in different places
What matters is identifying what currently makes it most difficult to move forward. You may lack a clear direction, be unsure of the value you create, or find it difficult to explain why your experience is relevant to the direction you are pursuing.
A direction can also make professional sense without you yet having the experience or relationships that make the next step realistic. In other cases, you know too little about the role, the organisation or the problems you want to work with, because your assumptions have not yet been examined in practice.
A better formulation does not solve an unclear direction, and relevant experience will have limited significance if others cannot see what it can be used for. The next step depends on what specifically stands in the way of moving forward.
The current constraint may change
What stands in the way now will not necessarily remain the same. When one constraint is addressed, another may become more important.
At first, the problem may be that you lack a clear direction. Once the direction is clearer, you may discover that your professional value is difficult to explain. When it is clearer what your experience can be used for, the response may show that you lack experience, relevant relationships or a more realistic next step.
This does not mean that the first assessment was wrong. When the problem that was most significant at the time is addressed, the next constraint may become clearer.
A solution must also be able to work in practice
The most obvious solution from a professional point of view is not always the one you can realistically implement. Your finances, your health, your family and the need for stability can have an impact on what opportunities are actually available.
If you lack experience in a new industry, further study may be one route. But if it requires time or finances that you do not have available, the experience may need to be built up through a smaller step, a project or a related role.
This does not make the solution any less ambitious. It means that the path must fit both the problem and the situation you are in.
You do not need to have the complete answer
Some assumptions can only be assessed when they are examined in practice.
If the problem seems to lie in your positioning, the response to a clearer formulation can show whether your assessment holds. If you are considering a new direction, conversations with people who know the work can make it clearer whether your ideas about the tasks and requirements match reality.
The response can confirm your assessment, but also show that the problem lies elsewhere. A single reaction rarely tells enough. If the same pattern is repeated, there may be reason to reconsider both your understanding of the problem and what you intended to do.
Your understanding of the problem must be precise enough for you to choose the next step, while remaining open to revision as you gain new information.
Related Questions
What makes a career decision strategic?
A strategic decision starts from a precise understanding of the problem that needs to be solved.
What do I need to change in my career, and how extensive should the change be?
The change should not be greater than the problem you are trying to solve.
How do I choose the right career direction?
Once the problem is clearer, it becomes easier to assess which direction actually makes sense.
About CareerStrategy
CareerStrategy provides career strategy for academics, specialists and leaders.
The focus is on creating clearer direction, stronger positioning and a better basis for professional decisions.