The world of work is an increasingly cutthroat and competitive one. Whether you’re a recent graduate, a school leaver just entering the world of work or an old hat who’s interested in changing your career prospects, it can seem as though the simple act of finding work is harder than ever before. Jobs are harder to come by and offer pay that simply doesn’t match the soaring cost of living. Unpaid internships could unlock new doors, but who’s able to invest months of their life working full time for free? In a capricious economic climate, finding work can feel like an uphill struggle.

In light of this, when we do find a job that we find even vaguely satisfactory we tend to cling to it like a drowning person clings to a piece of driftwood. Even when it seems like the chances of career progression are slim to nil, the job doesn’t offer the same experience you signed up for, your duties become increasingly monotonous and your boss starts to take your hardworking and ambitious nature more and more for granted, it’s all too easy to cling to the job you have. Better that than face the uncertainty of the job market again, right? Wrong. When you stay in a job that doesn’t stimulate, satisfy or adequately remunerate you it can leave your finances and your job satisfaction on a permanent back burner…

Your Opportunities Will Dwindle

Employers want to see pluck, initiative, determination and dynamism in their candidates. If you’ve remained in an entry level job for years, they will take this as a sign of complacency. The more you let yourself stagnate, the more your opportunities will dwindle. Don’t let yourself fall asleep at the wheel of your life. Pursue an online criminology degree, start your own side hustle, or take a night school class in accounting. Remember where your passions lie and dedicate your free time to monetizing them.

Your Finances Will Deteriorate

It’s hard to navigate the treacherous path of 21st century living. With essentials like food, and housing seeming to grow more expensive with every passing year, staying in an entry level job will be unlikely to insulate you from the mounting costs of simply living modestly. If you find yourself falling into a career rut, you may have to work very hard in your free time to dig yourself out of the financial rut that will follow. While an extra job or a side hustle can be a profitable endeavor it may not be something that you realistically have the free time nor the energy to pursue.

Your Skills Will Atrophy

Finally, in an ever changing and increasingly competitive job market, your skills and experiences are your USP. They will be what marks you out as special no matter how many others apply for any given job. But if you allow yourself to stagnate in your career, you’ll coast by day by day, week by week, month by month and year by year without learning new skills.

And that doesn’t look good to employers.