Research mode: Activated
Here’s what I learned After 20 Career Confessions and way too many flat whites.
While coaching international professionals (often high-achievers, mid-career, and at a crossroads) I started noticing familiar patterns.
Clients would come to me with the same concerns, the same quiet frustrations they couldn’t shake.
So I went back to the drawing board. I wanted to truly understand the nuances behind these recurring challenges.
That’s why I recently conducted twenty in-depth interviews (huge THANK YOU to everyone who participated 🙏).
Here is a summary of the top 5 career struggles that came up again and again:
🔋 1. Energy Drained
They feel slowly but surely drained (mentally and physically).
The emotional weight of rejection, after interviews, denied promotions, pay raises, lack of direction…it starts to take a toll.
The light and fire that once drove them is dimming.
🎭 2. Misaligned
On the surface, things look fine. They’re following the career playbook, and they should feel grateful.
But deep down, something feels off.
There’s a sinking feeling that their current path doesn’t align with their values.
Impostor syndrome creeps in.
Maybe they’re following someone else’s expectations, or they’ve simply outgrown this version of their career.
❓ 3. Lack of Clarity
They don’t know where to start.
No clear option feels exciting or right.
They catch themselves wondering: What do I actually want now?
They’ve lost touch with some of their old dreams, and feel uninspired by what’s in front of them.
😨 4. Fear
This is uncharted territory.
It feels overwhelming, too big, too uncertain.
They’re stuck in “what ifs”: What if I fail? What will people say? What if the next job is worse?
Fear clouds their vision and stalls their steps.
🌀 5. Stuck
As a result, they feel stuck.
They know they should be doing something, but they procrastinate.
They take no consistent action in any clear direction.
Days turn into months, sometimes years… and they stay stuck.
Why share this? to tell you that if this resonates, you are not alone nor lost, all this is extremely common and moments like these can happen (once, or several times) in our careers.
BUT, the world is huge and full of possibilities, with a bit of help, you can embrace the possibility of ‘another go’ and get excited about the future.
