You’ve probably heard people in the IT space talk about being “burned out” and what leads to it. But today, I want to share something different—something that someone else out there might be feeling too: being “stuck” and feeling “directionless” at work.
But let me rant for a bit.
Have you ever felt like you’re not learning or moving forward in your position?
Wise people would tell you it’s a sign to switch teams or companies, which is probably the right move—unless you’re under contract or in some weird predicament. So maybe you stick around, and that’s totally fine.
In my case, I feel stuck doing the same repetitive tasks (most of which are automated at this point), all within the same realm of five tools and patterns. It’s like déjà vu every day. I can’t even remember the last time I was excited to try something new at work. As someone who gets bored easily and constantly wants to learn and improve, this has been killing me. For the past ten months, I’ve felt completely stuck—without direction or motivation.
To make matters worse, we just had a round of layoffs a couple of weeks ago. Now, it feels like our entire team and area have no sense of direction. Objectives keep shifting, things go haywire for months, and then—eventually—someone from above comes down with a new plan, and we start the vicious cycle all over again. That’s just how corporate jobs work, so I’m not blaming my current company specifically. I’ve seen this happen elsewhere, and if you follow tech news, you know that restructuring is sadly becoming the norm.
If it weren’t for my homelab and streaming, where I can play around and test new things, I’d probably quit tech altogether and just become a farmer or open a taco shop at this point. Those side projects help keep my creative hunger under control, but what’s the long-term plan? I can’t just stream or tinker all day—I have a family to support and bills to pay.
Rant over. So what’s next?
Do what the wise people suggest: find a new place where I can learn, be challenged, and actually contribute. That’s hard to do in big corporate jobs, where you’re just a cog in the machine. I also need to find a mentor—someone who can help me move up in my career and prevent me from feeling like this again. I haven’t had a mentor in years. Likewise, I’d love to become that person for someone else—someone just starting out and needing that push to accomplish their goals.
If you ever feel this way, don’t wait months or years to push yourself toward something new.
We only get one life, and it goes by fast—so enjoy it and do something that makes you happy.
Adios 👋