B2 — Upper Intermediate
Have you ever gone to work feeling bored and wondering if what you do really matters? That feeling may be career rust-out.
As a result, you may experience lower productivity, frustration, and reduced job satisfaction.
To prevent or overcome career rust-out, individuals can develop new skills, seek greater responsibilities, set meaningful goals, or consider new career paths.
Watch the video about career rust-out.
Vocabulary Questions:
- How does “rust-out” differ from “burn-out”? ”Gabriela Flax experienced rust-out working in tech doing repetitive tasks each day.” Use “rust-out” in a sentence. Give a synonym.
- What does “to suck the life out of someone” mean? ”The lack of inspiration is sucking the life out of you.” Use the expression in a sentence. Give a synonym.
- What is a “stretch assignment”? ”You should go to your manager with a solution instead of asking them to solve the problem, like asking for that new stretch assignment, the option to attend a conference, maybe a workshop to learn a new skill.” Use the term in a sentence. Give a synonym.
Discussion Questions:
- Why do some employees lose motivation at work?
- What responsibilities do employers have in preventing career rust-out?
- Can having too little work be as stressful as having too much work? Why or why not?
- Do you think changing jobs is always the best solution to career rust-out? Why or why not?
- Would you rather have a challenging job or an easy but repetitive job? Explain your answer.
- Have you ever felt bored or demotivated in the middle of your professional life? What helped you regain your motivation?
- Have you ever taken a stretch assignment at work? Talk about it.