Should you stay in your current software role or should you go?
A helpful guide to decide if it’s time to explore a new software role or if you should stay in your current position.
As you begin a new year, if you’re experiencing frustration, boredom or feeling stunted in your software career growth, it may be time to make changes. With this concise guide from Refactor Coaching, I offer a checklist to help you take the first steps to improve your situation.
The Warning Signs
Most software engineers eventually hit a point where their role no longer energizes them. Recognize important warning signs, such as when "positive steps" on your team fail to reignite your enthusiasm and you feel disconnected from your peers' energy. If you’re experiencing hurdles like these, then it's time to investigate why.
You’re experiencing a misalignment between what you want to be doing, the people you work with and what you hope to achieve for yourself. And if you want to find fulfillment from your work, it’s critically important to articulate which of these you’re experiencing in your daily work life.
Root Cause Analysis
First, clarify the causes of your professional dissatisfaction. Identify the main sources of discontent as if solving a technical problem. You’re an engineer, which means you’re a problem-solver. Getting to the root causes of your professional dissatisfaction is no different. Determine the changes needed for fulfillment and career alignment. This process may be complex and time-consuming, so be very patient as you explore causes.
Start reflecting on your discontent by working to answer these questions: What causes your unhappiness? Is there tension with your manager? Have you lost enjoyment in the technology you use? Do you question the company’s direction?
Keep reflecting until you identify the root causes of frustration. Clearly articulating your career hurdles helps lead you to begin finding your best solutions.
If you’ve tried discussing this directly with your manager and nothing has changed, it may be time to consider new opportunities elsewhere, including on a different team at the same company. There are many excellent companies out there eager to discuss roles that would suit you much better.
Making the Decision and Taking Action
The key takeaway is to frame any professional problem as an engineering issue. Be clear about your issue, identify the first, smallest, and most effective action you can take to achieve an initial resolution, and then determine whether this clarifies if you need a new team, manager, or opportunity elsewhere.
Next Steps
When you tackle career decisions with the same analytical rigor you apply to your technical challenges, you'll build confidence in guiding your professional journey. But just as it can be helpful to seek an external opinion to solve a technical challenge, collaborating with a coach can help clarify and accelerate your path forward.
If you believe you could gain from working with an expert guide to help coach you through whether you should remain in your current role or move on to a new one, contact Refactor today.
For first time clients and an easy way to get started, Refactor offers three focused sessions in our Starter Pack to help you:
Clearly identify the main causes of your dissatisfaction in your role
Lay out a clear plan of action
Coach you through having crucial conversations, step-by-step.
By the end of 3 sessions, you should feel clear on whether you want to stay in your current role or seek new opportunities.
Or consider enrolling in Refactor's monthly coaching memberships to work through more complex career challenges for ongoing support.
Thanks for reading, and cheers to you for considering taking one small step towards a better software career in 2025!
Head Coach & Founder @ Refactor Group