"Feeling Stuck in My Career: Seeking Guidance for a Clear Direction and Growth"

I’m feeling lost in my career with no clear direction forward. I have over 6.5 years of experience at TCS, including a 2-year sabbatical. Most of my time there has been spent on the bench or in projects where I didn’t have much work, so I haven’t gained significant skills or experience.

I started my career as a manual tester in a shadow role, then pursued an MBA in Marketing. However, I never got a chance to work in marketing. Instead, I was placed in an Ultimatix project due to pressure from RMG. Being new, I felt set up to fit a bell curve for performance, which led to back-to-back C ratings. I eventually got released from that project, but now I’m back in RMG, still without any meaningful learning or growth.

Currently, I feel unfocused and am struggling to find the motivation to upskill. I’m underpaid, unsure whether I should pursue management roles or return to something technical like manual testing. My communication skills are not strong, and I lack confidence, which only adds to my anxiety when I think about my career. Seeing friends earn much more than I do has hit my self-esteem hard, and it’s putting me in a negative spiral.

I genuinely want a way forward but feel stuck without the right skills or direction. If anyone could provide guidance on what steps to take or how to regain focus, it would be a huge help. Thank you for reading.