8 signs your career is in trouble

(MoneyWatch) COMMENTARY Most people go to work, get a paycheck, and spend it. Not you. If I've got you pegged right (and I'm pretty sure I do), you've got more ambition than that. A lot more. And you're smarter than that. A lot smarter. Good for you.

As we used to say back in Brooklyn, that and 90 cents will get you on the subway. Don't tell me how much it costs now; I don't want to know.

In all seriousness, brains and ambition is a pretty good start to launch a career, but it's not enough, not by a long shot. You see, there are lots of things in the corporate world that affect you, but you've got to know how to read the tea leaves.

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So today I'm going to clue you in to the signs you should pay attention to, what they really mean beyond the corporate spin, and what you should do about them. This is important stuff so pay attention. Here's what it means when...

Everyone has moderately good things to say about you.

What it means: You're going nowhere. I know that sounds harsh, but it's true and here's why. Stars get ahead, moderate performers don't. Even if you think you're a star, if the powers that be don't agree, guess who gets to make the call? Right, not you.

What you should do: Ask questions. Go straight to your boss, your bosses, your peers, whoever, and ask them straight out how you can improve, what you can do to get from good to great. Above all, don't be defensive and make them sorry they were honest with you.

Your boss says great things about you but you're still passed over for raises and promotions.

What it means: He's sugarcoating the truth, probably because he's a wimpy boss who doesn't want to be the bad guy and doesn't have the guts to do the right thing and tell you straight what's going on.

What you should do: Same as above except ask, "What do I need to do to get promoted around here?" Again, be direct but remember that the guy clearly doesn't do confrontation, so be nice about it.

Your boss has given you the same negative feedback more than once.

What it means: You're not listening. You may think you're listening, but you're really not or you just don't want to hear what she's telling you.

What you should do: Listen. Ask leading questions like, "How can I do better?" If you disagree with the feedback, that's fine. It really doesn't matter. Just remember that she's still the boss, so at the end of the day what she says goes.

There are layoffs at your company.

What it means: Unless it's a one-shot deal where there's a market correction and the company cuts just once and deep, it's a really bad sign. Yes, I know we live in a time when layoffs are common, but they're not nearly as common at consistently good, healthy, growing companies. And those are the kind you want to work for.

What you should do: You may not have gotten axed this round, but that doesn't mean it won't happen down the road. It's probably a good idea to update your resume and LinkedIn profile and start networking a little more aggressively. Don't panic and bolt -- you might get a half decent termination package. Just be prepared.

Lots of good people are jumping ship.

What it means: Occam's Razor says the simplest answer is usually the correct one. If lots of good people are jumping ship, it's either sprung a leak or there's an iceberg up ahead.

What you should do: Start by asking one or two of your exiting colleagues what they know that you don't. If that's not possible, then you know the drill: fire up your resume and start networking -- now.

Everything is a deep dark secret.

What it means: When everyone's walking around tight-lipped, guarded, or suspiciously paranoid, bad things are afoot. If your company's always been like that, then it's dysfunctional, which is even worse.

What you should do: Unless you work for, say, Apple (AAPL) or Trader Joe's, where secrecy is part of the culture, it's time to update the resume again.

Your company isn't growing.

What it means: These days it's popular to question the relentless capitalist drive toward growth and profits. Let me tell you, that's just a bunch of Utopian garbage from people who are clueless about how business really works. If your company isn't growing, it's stagnating. If it's stagnating, then the market is passing it by. And that's just a slow, painful death spiral.

What you should do: Now that you know you're not on a rocketship to the stars, it's probably time to get out there and start looking around for a company that's actually going somewhere.

Your company isn't making money.

What it means: One or two quarters in the red is no big deal. But if it's consistently up and down, that's a sign management doesn't know how to run a company or that the company's products aren't cutting it. Speaking of which, if your company isn't at least No. 1 or No. 2 in the markets it serves, that's also a bad sign.

What you should do: Losing money doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad place to work. Depending on the balance sheet -- cash, debt, and all that -- companies can go for years and years without going under. But if they start cutting corners and perks, don't say I didn't warn you.

[RMSx32767]

Everyone including the company founder can have glowing words about your performance but if your boss does not like you, your career with that company is over.

Your boss, regardless of where you work, is the single biggest promoter or obstacle to your progression UNLESS someone with more power nullifies the negative impact.

Either way, best be on your way under your own power before you are shown the door.

[jsargent100]

Number 9: The stars are out of alignment and the Moon is in Uranus.
At some point in everyone's career shows all of these things for a short time. Quite a few of those points are plain paranoid. All bosses "sugar coat" because they want to squeeze every bit of performance out of you when they need to. Promotions are all about power plays and nothing to do with the job you do for your boss. In many organizations bosses promote people to get rid of employees they don't find useful. (After management is something that has to be learned by observation and is not magically given to you at birth.) In a recession it is hard to tell where your career is going and I don't think all these points correctly reflect the true picture. Although...jumping ship has nothing to do with your career but all to do with the success of the company. Maybe you mean that you should jump ship along with them when the going gets tough?

[indiamike]

All fairly obvious, let me add,

#1 In the UK IT industry once you hit about 45.

#2 A precursor to your point 4. There's a company meeting and a director stands up and say's 'There are rumours about and we want to assure you that there's nothing wrong'.

Perhaps it's the cynic in me! To get round #1 I started my own business. I've been hit by #2 several times in my career, that meeting is usually followed 2 or 3 weeks later by the announcement of the redundancy consultation period starting.

[triby100]

Hi Steve, I have a question. I started my career with a manufacturing unit, selling only in domestic market (food and beverage/flavour and frangrance industry). I introduced company into exports and incredible was the response from customers. But my company never met delivery dates with most important customer, in the beginning and eventually with many others. Worst of all, they stopped offering many of hot and profitable products and started concentrating on a single product when there were so many inquiries for "stopped offering" products. Combo buying is typical in the industry. Many a time accepted POs weren't honored. Strategically, management never source raw material during season/when prices are down. Now,they face a very difficult financial crisis. So, what do you think of such a company?

[stobak2]

Sounds like you've already got that pretty well figured out.

ST

[AlBlack52]

You forgot to mention the ninth sign your career is in trouble: your hair has just turned grey. This stops your boss thinking about your promotion, and starts him thinking about your successor instead. Ageism is alive and well in most corporates, and a long successful career can make you look a little dated...my CV has 30 years of solid achievement but these days I only show the last 10 years.

[stobak2]

Yes, it's definitely an issue.

Google: "Dark side of social media: Age discrimination" -- it's a somewhat revealing article I wrote some months ago ...

ST

[Al Watts]

All good points, Steve. Here are 3 more: 1)Being invited to fewer or none of the right meetings, 2)Someone newer / younger just hired to work similar to you - especially if your boss really gets along well with him / her, and often accompanied by 3) You haven't been keeping up with what's new. Here's a companion piece - 10 signs that it may be time for you to leave under your own power: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs084/1102441252813/archive/1109485253598.html

[Ancient_One100]

Perhaps an old-economy perspective, but I had thought a career tended to transcend any single employer. These seem to be 8 signs that a position with a present employer is in trouble.

[stobak2]

Oh Ancient One, someone with your worldliness must know that "8 signs that a position with a present employer is in trouble" wouldn't get very many clicks.

ST

[cglasco100]

I have noticed a phenomenon I call 'the 18 month syndrome". Most professionals, managers and executives have that funny "hair-raising" feeling in the back of their neck, or that clutch in the gut that lets them know that something is wrong a year or so before the ax falls. That 'something wrong feeling' could be any of the items you mention in this post. What I find amazing: most people do nothing to change the situation except to work harder.

Thanks for being forthright and very much on target.

[stobak2]

You're quite right. There are always signs. The problem with inertia is, the higher up you climb the corporate ladder and the more successful you've been, the harder it seems to be to step back and gain some perspective. That's why humility and challenging the status quo are so important for managers and executives. Inertia kills companies ... and careers.

ST

[Al Watts]

All good points, Steve. Here are 3 more: 1)Being invited to fewer or none of the right meetings, 2)Someone newer / younger just hired to work similar to you - especially if your boss really gets along well with him / her, and often accompanied by 3) You haven't been keeping up with what's new. Here's a companion piece - 10 signs that it may be time for you to leave under your own power: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs084/1102441252813/archive/1109485253598.html

[ddsoffice]

When many of the above are occurring another tip is to check for any litigation your company may be involved in, a simple way is to go into any search engine and key in the company name followed by the word 'lawsuit.' If their 'style' is to litigate 'out of court' this can result in a more favorable outcome with no to very little publicity and quicker recovery and can reveal that they are able to be flexible and fair outside of the courtroom.

This small legal check up whether it is for the company you are with (and witnessing a negative environment) or considering to work for has spared me the heartache of those who went to work for companies in the types of litigation that jeopardize a business' future resulting in either premature layoffs/company closures within 3 years of hire through no fault of the employees newer to the business.