10 Career Investments to Make When You Feel Stuck

If you feel stuck at work, overlooked, under-challenged, or unsure of your next career step, here are 10 investments you can make right where you are.

1. Learn a New Course, Tool or Platform

Pick one software, system, or platform relevant to your field (like Excel, SQL, Notion, Canva, or Power BI) and learn it well. Proficiency is power. Invest in a short course or certification that aligns with your future goals. Many are affordable or even free. Try YouTube tutorials, free LinkedIn Learning trials, or Coursera.

2. Update Your Personal Brand

Polish your CV, refresh your LinkedIn, and get clear on how you want to be perceived. Even if you're not job-hunting, your digital presence should reflect your value.

3. Set a 30-Minute Learning Slot Each Day

How you start your day matters. Pick one time slot. Guard it. Use it to read, take a course, or study something new. Growth needs plan. Add it to your calendar like a meeting. It matters just as much.

4. Start a Wins Folder

Create a digital or paper file. Each week, drop in something you did well, a compliment, a result, a solved problem. When self-doubt comes (and it will), this is your proof.

5. Clean Up Your Career Finances

Know your take-home pay. Know where it goes. Understand your pension, taxes, and what a raise would actually mean. Financial literacy is a leadership skill.

6. Join a Community of Ambitious Women

Whether it's a Slack group, a professional network, or a women’s Bible study focused on growth, surround yourself with energy that lifts. Have honest career conversations with a mentor, a friend, or your boss. Say what you want. Ask questions and use the feedback.

7. Volunteer for Something Slightly Out of Scope

Say yes to a project, report, or presentation that forces you to grow (but be mindful of burn out). People notice initiative more than titles. Also, practice speaking up in meetings, interviews, or conversations, use your voice. Growth happens when you lean into discomfort.

8.  Read Career Development Books

Pick one book a month. It may be on leadership, faith at work, communication, personal development. Grow your mind, expand your language.

9. Revisit Your Career Vision

Where are you going? What do you want, really? Pull out your journal. Write without filters. Stuck seasons often require new direction, not just new jobs.

10. Pray Over Your Career

God cares about your work. Ask Him for wisdom, strategy, favour, open doors, and grace to grow where you’re planted. Invite Him into the decisions and the delay. God is not distant from your work.