No matter what point you’re at in your professional career, you’re bound to be interrupted by some hurdles or roadblocks. These may halt some in their career path, but there are tactics one can utilize to stay ahead of the game. Remember, overcoming these situations can only lead to growth, success, and overall a better version of yourself. Follow these tips to help combat these scenarios to ensure success in your career.

Acknowledge the issue and avoid procrastination

When hitting a roadblock in your career, it’s natural to withdraw and feel discouraged. But it’s important to stay ahead of the issue and not let this stall you. The first step is to evaluate your situation and identify the reason(s) that lead you down this path. Are you feeling unmotivated? Is there a specific factor of your work environment that’s negatively affecting you? Are you simply stuck in a role that doesn’t align with your skills and aspirations anymore? If you don’t take the initial step in analyzing your situation, you’ll remain stagnant and things could get worse. Once you’ve pinpointed exactly what’s going on, you can determine a game plan.

Push yourself to engage

Engaging with your community, peers, and friend group is a lifeline to lean on. Gathering other’s opinions/perspectives can trigger answers to your situations and potential leads to new opportunities. When you stop taking these proactive actions, that’s the point when you begin to move backward. Before you seek help, make sure that you’ve already thought through the issue to the best of your ability.

Reevaluate your skill set 

Reevaluate your skills and see if there are areas where you could improve. Are there any specific categories that are sparse? Could you use more experience with leadership or time management? Are you lacking in public speaking? Carve out time outside of your job to research additional skill opportunities that could add value. Learn new skills on LinkedIn Learning and showcase them on your profile.

Be open to all possible paths

Improvement and moving forward in a career is all trial and error. If your first attempt doesn’t work out, don’t get discouraged, keep trying. Keeping an open mind also opens many doors and solutions. Having an open perspective and possessing the willingness to compromise in some areas is key; these could potentially be your gateway to success. Another important lesson to remember is that no one is going to hand you an opportunity or solution, you’re in charge of making big breaks in your life.

Find an additional door outside your job

Discovering an additional outlet outside of your job has many benefits. You have the opportunity to put your frustrations and energy into something other than your 9-5 job. Research other opportunities outside your job that could add value. This could be a volunteer gig where you improve your social skills, a side hobby that allows you to gain motivation to be productive and could transfer into your work at your job, or start a side business to improve your time management and productivity capabilities.

Everyone at some point in their career will encounter a barrier.  How you decide to overcome the situation will shape your character and professional future. Follow the tips above to help you see your hurdle as an opportunity!