The average person will change careers 5-7 times during their working life but approximately 30% of the total workforce will now change jobs every 12 months.
In days gone by, the secret to success in life was to have a steady job that offered nothing more than consistency of work and reliability of income. There were few discussions, if any, about career ambitions, personal strengths and weaknesses and enjoyment.
Workplaces of 2023 look almost nothing like the workplaces of the 1960s now. Aside from the obvious differences in the way jobs are performed, with technology being arguably the biggest change, almost everything is different. A YouGov survey recently stated that only 6% of the UK workforce now works a 9-5 pattern now, with nearly 50% of people working flexibly with an arrangement in place to job share, work a reduced week on compressed hours, term time, part time or hybrid. The shifting work patterns allow employees to juggle other commitments. In recent years, more men have been normalising flexible working, requesting similar patters with working from home the favoured option.
With the changes to the working day and the focus on a restorative life balance outside of the workplace, people are now starting to consider what they actually want from a career.
The global pandemic brought about a wholesale shift in attitudes to work and the pursuit of meaning and fulfilment. As around 600,000 left the UK workforce, it is reported that 28% of people changed their career paths entirely, moving sectors and industries to fulfil long-held ambitions and a better quality of life.
And so, starting again, these workplace movers find themselves starting their careers again and by definition, are ‘early careers’.
Shifting gear and moving careers at any stage is daunting, whether you’re a graduate or have decades of experience. It is common to see a dip in confidence, an increase in imposter syndrome and general second-guessing of one’s own choices. Grounding yourself and remembering all the reasons that you are changing careers is helpful in these situations.
If you’re thinking of a career change at any point in your life, here are some things you might want to consider:
- What are your interests?
- What gives you most satisfaction in a job?
- What do you enjoy/not enjoy?
- What are your realised strengths, unrealised strengths, learned behaviours and weaknesses?
- What are your areas of emotional strength?
- What experience and/or qualifications do you need to get you there?
- What are your transferable skills?
- What other considerations do you need to factor in before a career change?
- How important is flexibility? How money-driven are you?
- What are your short and longer term goals?
Taking the time to refocus and reframe what fulfilment means to you will help you to carve out a new career path. Hopefully an exciting one!