3 pivotal career stages you need to know to unlock clarity and direction
Have you hit a point in your career where something seems — off?
Are you feeling stuck and wondering what’s next — but aren’t sure where to start?
In a recent masterclass, I introduced my signature Career By Design method — a new way of approaching your career which starts with YOU, not external strategies.
One participant shared this shift in approach was her biggest takeaway. But what helped her figure out how to put it into action was learning the 3 career stages I guide my clients through.
By understanding her current career stage, she now knows exactly where to focus her energy.
So today, I’m going to walk you through these 3 career stages too. Because looking back now, I’ve moved through each one myself.
Let me take you back to 2017…
It started out as a tiny flicker of unease. The occasional feeling something wasn’t quite right. But it was gone as quickly as it arrived, so I shook it off, buried it deep and kept moving forward.
Over time, that initial dissatisfaction grew into a sense of pure dread. I felt like something was missing. I was dreading Mondays and struggling to get up for work each day.
As an ambitious high performer, this was unusual — and deep down, I knew I needed more than just a break.
Eventually, I hit rock bottom. And I realised: Although I loved being my own boss and had a successful business — I wasn’t fulfilled. The truth was my identity was tied up in work and I lacked a clear purpose behind the work I was doing.
Something needed to change.
This moment marked the biggest shift I’ve made in my career: I stopped chasing someone else’s version of success — and started designing my career from the ‘inside out.’ Now, I help others do the same.
In this article, I’m sharing the 3 pivotal career stages I see high-achievers move through — and how to identify which one you’re in.
You’ll go from feeling confused about your direction, stuck in self-doubt or out of control in your career — to knowing exactly where to focus your energy. All so you can move forward with clarity, confidence and the right strategy!
I’ve noticed we go through these three career stages and it explains why people tend to look for those external strategies first. Let’s break it down.
LEVEL #1 — DISSATISFACTION
This is where I started, in the experience I shared above. I couldn’t explain it — yet something didn’t feel quite right.
This first stage is when you’re starting to experience a mild sense of dissatisfaction at work — but you’re still getting by. It’s not painful enough yet for you to see it as a real problem.
You could be feeling a little restless, disconnected or like the spark has gone.
At this stage, it’s easy to ignore those signs.
You tell yourself you should be grateful. Things aren’t that bad. You’ve worked hard to get here and have achieved a lot — but it doesn’t feel as satisfying as you expected it to.
But over time, the dial gets turned up and the dissatisfaction starts to grow louder. Eventually, there’s a tipping point where you start to move into level two.
Between Level One and Two is where most people start looking for a new job. And I believe it’s not only because they’ve outgrown their current role — they’re actually starting to search for something more.
LEVEL #2 — THE CAREER CROSSROADS
This second stage is that tipping point — where you now know it’s time to make a change. Sometimes this stage is triggered by a career rock bottom — like it was for me. But it could also be due to a major life crisis or big change like illness, becoming a parent, divorce, redundancy or losing a loved one.
At a career crossroads, you’re stuck and lacking clarity about what you want next. You’re searching for something more, feeling frustrated or unfulfilled in your current career.
And by this point, most people have already tried to fix the problem by looking for a new job — but it hasn’t worked. You may have even taken a new role or promotion, only to find the same issues follow you to your next position.
This is one of the most challenging stages to be in because you’re now certain you need to make a change — but you’re uncertain about WHAT that is or HOW to get there.
Most clients come to me between Levels Two and Three to find that certainty. Ideally, I’d love to support you as close to Level 1 as possible — because I know it would help you avoid a lot of unnecessary anxiety and discomfort.
And that’s exactly why I created my signature coaching program, Ignite Your Career — to guide you through the messy middle and get you to Level Three.
LEVEL #3 — ‘CAREER BY DESIGN’
Level Three is what I call ‘Career By Design.’ This is the ultimate goal of my work. To help you redefine what success looks like to you — and then create your career (and life) around that.
At this final stage, you now have certainty on WHAT you want. This could be a new career path, a more aligned work in your existing field or even redesigning your current role to fit you better. And you also know HOW to get there using a step-by-step plan.
Inside Ignite Your Career, I take clients through a proven roadmap to get there. We start by finding clarity, then mastering your mindset, before moving into strategy.
In this third phase, we explore, test and validate different career pathways — before choosing one to move forward with. Finally, we create and implement your strategy plan. This is your personalised plan — to take you from where you are now to where you want to go.
The majority of steps are focused on identifying WHAT you want. Because most people jump straight to the HOW — applying for jobs or updating their resume — without doing the inner work first.
This process minimises fear and risk and supports you to make your next move with clarity and confidence.
YOUR ACTION STEP…
So I want you to assess which career stage you’re currently in: Level One, Two or Three 2 — or somewhere in between.
- Are you sitting in Level One, slightly dissatisfied — but unsure why?
- Are you deep in Level Two — at a crossroads and ready for a change yet stuck on what to do next?
- Or are you working towards Level Three and ready to take action from a place of clarity?
Whatever stage you’re in, know there is a path forward. And it starts by recognising where you are now.
So there you have it — the 3 pivotal career stages I notice people move through. These insights have helped my clients identify which one they’re in and know exactly where to focus their energy. I hope they support you to find clarity on where you are — and what to do next!
Ready to create a career by design, not default? Check out the Ignite Your Career program for high-achievers who want to take ownership of their careers with clarity, confidence and a strategic plan.
Book a free Career Clarity Call with me HERE to get started!
Stacey Back is a career planning specialist, certified career coach + speaker. She helps high-achievers at a career crossroads find the work that lights them up, increase their income, impact and create a career + life on their terms. Stacey works virtually with individuals and organisations based across the globe.