AI, uncertainty and your career: Making peace with staying put

If recent headlines are any indication, many Americans are holding onto jobs not because they love them, but because they fear losing — or never finding — their next opportunity. A potent mix of economic complexity and predictions that AI is coming for jobs has many professionals frozen in place, in part to avoid being the last hired (and more to the point, first laid off or fired).

It's easy to be dismayed by these trends — especially if you’re equally concerned about career growth and achieving your professional goals. But you don’t always have to change jobs to change your circumstances.And stepping off the path of progress for a period of time is OK, too. What matters is making sure you are doing it for the right reasons.

Money matters

We work for many reasons, but for most people, money is pretty high on the list. With bills to pay, loved ones to care for, futures to fund and more, income matters a lot.

When I coach people navigating career decisions, we always start with examining what matters most to them. Money is almost always on the list. Not because they are greedy, but because saving for children’s education, buying a home and travel are cherished priorities that can and should inform career decisions.

If you are concerned about a tricky job market, staying put in a stable position may very well be the best choice, given what matters most to you and your loved ones.

But how do you make the most of staying put?

The Stay/Go Grid

One tool my clients find really helpful when navigating career decisions is my Stay/Go Grid. It breaks career decisions down into four quadrants as shown below.

As you think about your career, these should start to look familiar. If you've ever taken a "meh" job just to escape a toxic situation, you know what "go and survive" feels like. And conversely, taking a job that dramatically expands your opportunities to learn and grow is clearly a "go and thrive" kind of decision.

If the economy has you sitting tight,you are somewhere in the Stay column. So now what?

Staying and surviving

If you’d really like to leave your current role but worry about doing so, you may be in stay-and-survive mode. This could be the right decision, but it’s worth checking in with yourself. Try my What Matters Most to You exercise to make sure staying is truly the right call. Talk with peers and mentors in your field to ensure you are tuned in to the forces shaping the hiring market in your profession. And if after fact-finding and reflection, you determine staying put is your best move, look for fulfilling hobbies, volunteer opportunities or learning programs you can add to life outside of work. Sometimes that’s all it takes while you wait for better times.

Or, consider what it would take to shift from staying and surviving to staying and thriving.

Staying and thriving

This is the ideal state. And if you’re not quite here, a little digging may make all the difference. Start by examining your current state. I urge clients to use the lens of the Four E’s, which is how I distill the ways jobs can help advance our careers. Enjoying one or two of these may be all it takes to make a role worthwhile.

• Education – learning a new skill, concept, culture or other valuable material.
• Experience – gaining experience in a company, in a certain job or role, or at a     particular level of leadership.
• Exposure – being seen in a new way by key stakeholders in your career, particularly     those who can help you advance.
• Enthusiasm – passion for your work; it has meaning for you.

Staying and thriving is about finding these benefits right where you are. They won’t always be handed to you, but if you seek out mentors,ask for stretch assignments and volunteer to lead initiatives, you’ll find them.

Community matters

Anytime you’re navigating complexity, it can be nice to know you’re not alone. The Bespoke Life Network is Metta Solutions’ community for like-minded professionals seeking connection and learning as they build lives of meaning and purpose.

However you are weathering this challenging time, our community is here to help. And joining is free!