3 warning signs your career is on autopilot

A career on autopilot? It may not sound so bad, but letting your career fall into an autopilot stage can be very damaging in the long term - for your skills, salary, and even your hireability.

Are you confident that you haven’t let your career fall into autopilot? After all, the work is still getting done and KPIs are being met, right? WRONG! Being on autopilot can also mean that you are at risk of not learning new skills - no longer adding any value to your company. You are stuck on the career ladder.

The autopilot may have already taken over and you might not even have noticed. Here are three warning signs that you’re enjoying cruise control too much.

Friday is what you look forward to the most

Don’t get us wrong - enjoying a weekend break to recharge, spending time with family and friends, or pursuing your favourite hobby is highly important to prevent burnout. It also keeps you fueled for a busy week of work! However, when the #TGIF becomes the highlight of your week and is the only thing you look forward to, then the autopilot is likely to have already taken over your system.

If you are engaged with your job, excited about pushing boundaries, testing new things, and celebrating successes, Friday will be a welcome break, but it won’t be the only thing you look forward to.

Everything is figured out

You may feel that figuring out everything in your job is equal to having mastered it, but it may also mean that you have lost interest in continuing to upskill and develop in your role.

While you may have mastered the skills required to carry out your job, looking to test out new things, experimenting with other areas of the business can be an easy way to go out of your comfort zone and learn new skills.

You have no long term plan

A plan for the next five years is a huge commitment, and in today’s world, something difficult to follow and the world of work changes at lightning speed. With that said, just avoiding a plan altogether is another big warning sign that you are on autopilot. It may be a signal that you are disengaged with your work and your career.

So why is a plan so important? A plan is crucial as it provides you with a benchmark and roadmap to gauge progress towards an exciting goal further down the line. It doesn’t matter if the plan changes along the way, as long as you have the drive to achieve something in the longer run.