3 ways leaders are putting their careers on hold (and what waiting costs you)
Are you waiting — for the new year, the economy to improve or until your kids are at school full-time — to work out what you want next in your career?
Today, we’re talking about how high-achieving leaders are putting their careers on hold in the current climate.
One thing I’m noticing right now is that LinkedIn is full of redundancy news. At the time of recording, a Big 4 bank in Australia announced its cutting 2,500 jobs, the majority before Christmas.
Leaders are also telling me the job market is saturated, with fewer opportunities and more competition at senior levels.
In response to this uncertainty, I’m seeing people waiting. Some are waiting for the market to improve or their job to feel secure. But companies restructure, AI will continue to reshape roles and job security isn’t guaranteed.
Because companies own jobs, YOU own your career.
When the world feels uncertain, waiting seems like the safer option — yet there’s often more at risk than you think.
The bottom line is you can’t control the job market, geopolitical situation or how AI could impact your role. What you CAN control is your career, the steps you take ahead of time and how you respond to the external environment.
In this article, I’m sharing the 3 specific ways I see senior leaders waiting in their careers right now and the consequences of each. You’ll find out how to take ownership of your career — regardless of the economic climate or your current life stage.
#1 — YOU’RE WAITING UNTIL JANUARY
I know you’ll recognise this one. You’ve been telling yourself it’s nearly Christmas, you’re too busy or exhausted and don’t have time to think about your career. So you decide to wait until January and start then.
It makes sense, given how quickly the year has run away from us. If you’re anything like me, you’re already arranging Christmas catch-ups and receiving invitations to end-of-year events. And once again you’re left wondering: How did this happen?
The cost of waiting is that you lose 3 months and start next year behind. Because everything pauses for that 6-week period from the end of December, through the Christmas/New Year break and January school holidays. Then by the time you reach out to your network or apply for roles, it’s already February.
You could also put off exploring your career options, clarifying your goals or creating a plan NOW to execute in January. And let’s be real. What usually happens is you go back to work in the new year with the best of intentions, your to-do list takes over and ‘figuring out your career’ gets forgotten.
If this resonates, here’s the reframe: In my experience, the people who start in October or November are the ones who get ahead. You have nine weeks until Christmas, which is plenty of time to make significant inroads by January.
Here’s an example. One of my clients is travelling for most of November, on a bucket list trip they planned many months in advance. They had a genuine reason to pause.
But rather than waiting until they return or next year, they’ve chosen to double down on a couple of tangible steps. They’ve researched an article which they plan to publish in the next fortnight and have created a list of 20 contacts to reach out to by the end of 2026. Because end of year catch-ups are the perfect excuse to connect with your network!
As a result, they’ll make serious progress before they leave and have mapped out what they’ll do in December. Without execution, they could easily lose the next 3 months.
Ask yourself: What are 2-3 specific actions you can take before the end of the year to set your career up for success in 2027?
When you take small steps now, you’ll start the new year with momentum — instead of trying to catch up in February.
#2 — YOU’RE WAITING FOR CLARITY
You believe you need to know WHAT you want next in your career or HOW to get there before taking action.
I know this one intimately because it’s the exact issue I support high achievers with in their careers every day. And it makes sense. When you don’t know what you want, it seems impossible to move forward.
So you think, ‘better the devil I know’ and stay caught in the same situation, maintaining the status quo. This tendency is only heightened in the current climate, especially if you feel like internal progression is limited or it’s hard to find a new role.
I see this play out in stages. The first is when you’re experiencing a mild sense of dissatisfaction at work but you’re getting by. You don’t see it as a huge problem yet.
But over time, the dial gets turned up and you reach the second stage, which is the career crossroads. You may have hit a ceiling in your current career and can’t see a clear path forward, leaving you frustrated and stagnant. Or something outside your control, such as a redundancy or health issue, forces you to address your situation.
This is the very moment I support my coaching clients with. And it’s one of the most challenging stages because you now KNOW you need to make a change — but aren’t sure what this looks like or how to get there.
And there are two ways this costs you. Either you wait until you need to figure this out urgently, which creates a lot of work and pressure.
Or you become reactive by immediately searching for a new job or accepting the first role which comes along. And in uncertain times, you’re more likely to settle for something that’s ‘good enough’, believing it’s all you can get.
If you can relate, here’s the reframe: confusion is the gateway to clarity. You don’t have to wait. Start taking small steps NOW to work out what you want next.
For example, one client intentionally took a bridge job that pays the bills, in an industry they know inside out. While it’s not their ‘forever’ role, it’s given them time to figure out what they want next.
On the side, they’re exploring different careers by conducting informational interviews with people doing work which interests them. Initially, this opened their mind to new ideas they never knew existed. Now, these conversations have helped them clarify a couple of career paths, validate these ideas and build their network before they need it.
Consider: What’s one small step you can take right now to start finding clarity on what you want next in your career?
When you start by following your curiosity, you will find clarity on your direction without having to react under pressure.
#3 — YOU’RE WAITING FOR YOUR SITUATION TO CHANGE
You keep telling yourself: My career isn’t the priority right now. I’ll think about my goals and invest in my development when this season or life stage shifts.
This is common when you’ve got big financial or life commitments and feel like you have to put your career on hold or sacrifice it in some way. One person told me they have a huge mortgage and kids in private school, so making money is the primary objective and they’ll think about doing something fulfilling later.
Your priorities are valid and I’m not suggesting you change them. But there IS a cost if you abandon your career altogether.
First, your skills stagnate. You don’t keep them relevant or futureproof your career. And with AI and the pace of change, within a few years you’ll find yourself behind.
Second, there’s the financial cost of not getting promoted, changing roles or negotiating your salary. The income and super gaps start to compound, especially for women taking career breaks or working part-time.
Third is the impact on your wellbeing. Some people push themselves to the point of burnout, sacrificing their health and important relationships. Others end up doing the work they loathe, which gives them no fulfillment.
Then, when your current season changes and you want to prioritise your career again, you end up starting from scratch years later. As a result, it takes a lot longer to work out what you want next. Or you realise you lack certain skills or experience, when you could have spent the past 3-5 years building them in the role you were already in.
If you’re in this situation, here’s the reframe: Even when your career isn’t the priority, you don’t have to put it on hold completely.
Ask yourself: What skill do you need to develop to futureproof your career? And what’s one small step you can take right now in your current role?
This could look like learning how to delegate to free up the limited time you do have to focus on more complex, strategic work. Or putting up your hand to lead a small project, so you develop your leadership skills.
When you invest in your career consistently, it compounds at a pace that suits your current season.
So there you have it — the 3 ways I see high-achievers waiting in their careers right now. These insights have helped my clients and I take ownership of our careers, even in uncertain times. I hope they support you too!