Feeling stagnant in your career is a frustration many professionals face, but often, it’s self-advocacy that gets neglected in these moments. Advocating for yourself can be daunting because it forces you to confront uncomfortable truths—about your work environment, your role, and, most of all, yourself. But without this proactive approach, you’re likely to remain stuck in place. Here’s how you can consider advocating for yourself to break free from career stagnation.
1. Diagnose the Problem: Are You Truly Stuck or Just Disengaged?
Before you start making bold moves, first get honest with yourself about why you feel stuck. Is it boredom, a lack of challenges, or perhaps you’re underappreciated? Often, career stagnation isn’t just about hitting a ceiling. Sometimes it’s internal—a result of being in your comfort zone for too long.
Ask yourself:
- “Have I actively sought out new opportunities or just passively waited for them?”
- “What am I avoiding that would make me feel more engaged in my role?”
If it’s the latter, this is on you. Challenging yourself can sometimes reignite the fire, but if external factors are to blame, it’s time to advocate for change.
2. Audit Your Contributions: Do They Reflect Your Potential?
Start by taking an inventory of your achievements and ongoing contributions. Be brutally honest. Have you added enough value in your current role to deserve more responsibility or recognition? In some cases, stagnation happens because others don’t see what you see.
Quantify your contributions. Show how your work impacts the bottom line or enhances the team’s output. If you’re not crystal clear on your value, no one else will be either.
Key points to consider:
- What specific, measurable outcomes can you point to?
- How has your role evolved, and how have you risen to meet these challenges?
Having this data makes advocating for yourself less about feelings and more about hard evidence.
3. Identify What You Want: Clarity Is Non-Negotiable
This is where many people flounder. You feel stuck, but what do you actually want? More pay, more responsibility, a leadership role? Clarity is non-negotiable when it comes to self-advocacy. You can’t simply go to your boss and say, “I feel stagnant,” without offering a clear vision for what comes next.
Decide what kind of change would make you feel unstuck:
- Do you want professional development opportunities?
- Is it time for a promotion or lateral move within the company?
- Are you craving more autonomy or more diverse projects?
Once you have this vision, you’re in a position to build a case for it.
4. Reframe the Conversation: It’s Not Just About You
When advocating for change, it’s tempting to frame the conversation around your needs. But here’s a reality check: Companies care about what benefits them. To succeed, you need to align your personal goals with the organization’s objectives.
Instead of saying, “I feel bored and need more challenges,” try, “I see opportunities where I can add more value by leading X project or developing Y skill set, which will help us achieve [specific business goal].”
Linking your desires to the company’s growth will increase your chances of being heard and taken seriously.
5. Be Ready for Resistance: Change Makes People Uncomfortable
Advocating for yourself can trigger resistance, especially if your ask disrupts the status quo. Your boss might push back, or your colleagues might view your ambition with skepticism. Prepare for this. Change makes people uncomfortable, and your upward movement might cause discomfort.
Stay firm in your resolve and be prepared with alternatives. If your initial ask isn’t possible, what’s your Plan B? Having flexible solutions, while remaining assertive, demonstrates that you’re serious about growth but also realistic.
Expect these possible pushbacks:
- “We don’t have the budget for a promotion right now.”
- “You need more experience in X before we can consider that move.”
- “We can’t shift you into that role because of [organizational reason].”
These aren’t rejections, they’re negotiation points. Your ability to counter and offer alternatives could be the key to getting what you want.
6. Develop Allies: Don’t Advocate in Isolation
Advocating for yourself doesn’t have to be a one-person show. Building a network of allies who can vouch for your contributions adds credibility to your case. These could be colleagues, mentors, or higher-ups who have seen your work firsthand. Their support can amplify your voice when you’re advocating for change.
Remember, advocacy is often about perception. If others in your organization perceive you as a go-getter who adds value, your self-advocacy efforts will resonate more strongly.
7. Be Ready to Walk If Necessary
Finally, the harsh truth: Sometimes advocating for yourself means being willing to walk away. If you’ve exhausted all efforts—offered solutions, countered resistance, and still find yourself stuck—it might be time to consider other opportunities.
This doesn’t mean you throw in the towel at the first sign of resistance, but you should always be aware of your worth and prepared to explore options if the organization doesn’t align with your growth. Being willing to leave shows that you’re serious about your career, not just looking for a promotion but a place where you can thrive.
Closing Thoughts:
Advocating for yourself when you feel stagnant isn’t easy. It requires deep self-awareness, a clear understanding of your value, and the willingness to make uncomfortable asks. But stagnation is often self-imposed—by failing to push for what we deserve.
So ask yourself: Are you advocating for yourself, or are you waiting for someone to hand you the career you want? If it’s the latter, it’s time to flip the script. You’ll find that discomfort is often the first step toward meaningful change.
