Think back to the lowest point in your career. Perhaps you were stuck in an unfulfilling job, worked for a boss from an alien planet, or were so buried with assignments you lost all sense of yourself. I call this a Crossroad—a time when your values, enjoyable skills, and interests are not aligned with your current situation.

You probably tried to make adjustments to improve your circumstances but felt trapped. You were afraid to jump into another job that might be worse. You experienced some good days, followed by more bad days. Like most of my career coaching clients, you were frustrated and anxious.

If you’ve ever hit the career misery wall hard you can relate. Failing at a job or feeling powerless erodes your self-esteem. This may seem obvious to you now, but you don’t realize your mojo is slipping away in the middle of a serious career crisis.

This is a problem for several reasons. First, you are miserable and are probably burning out most of your friends and family with your complaints. Second, your ability to face your fears about your unknown future is compromised. Additionally, you will likely stay too long in the unhappy job, feeling you don’t have any good options or the energy to deal with a job search.

Here are some surefire signs you or someone you love is suffering from self-esteem erosion:

·        Mood Swings: Waking up grumpy, overreacting to life’s ups and downs, and generally feeling upset.

·        Sleep Issues: Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.

·        Unproductive: The list of things to do seem overwhelming so little or nothing gets done.

·        Poor Time Management: It takes forever to do the simplest things.

·        Error Prone: Resumes and cover letters go out with mistakes that undermine the job search process.

·        Negative: Career opportunities seem unattainable because job announcements are daunting.

·        Poor Performance: Interviews, follow-up, and effective compensation negotiation are neglected or done ineffectively.

I share this gloomy list of symptoms because little is written or discussed about this very human condition that most people will face at least once in their lifetime. Validating and normalizing the impact of a serious career misalignment is the first step toward esteem recovery. There is a path forward and reasons to be hopeful.

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