by Susan Freimark

Are you feeling stuck in your career? Are you thinking that because you have always worked in marketing, you are doomed to a career in that area? Or that you can never break free from the chain of social service jobs in which you keep finding yourself? Do you feel like you just can't find it in yourself to conduct another training session for volunteers? So how do you get out of the rut? It's not as hopeless as it may seem.

One of the answers is at the heart of nonprofit organizations: Volunteer! Try to do some cross training for yourself by volunteering to sit on a committee in a different department or area within your own organization. Also, be an active member by agreeing to co-chair or co-coordinate a special project.

Another career remedy is to focus on the part or parts of your daily work that give you the most satisfaction. As a marketer, do you most enjoy the actual writing? Then how about a stint in grantwriting? As a volunteer manager, do you find fulfillment in the matching of volunteers to needed assistance? Then how about looking at your skill set from the perspective of a new career in human resources?

Although I can hear the chuckles as you read this section, try to make some free time to volunteer for professional organizations where you can pick up other skills and gain visibility. And remember, there are ways to "get unstuck" when you are feeling glued in to a career.