Careerbuilder survey shows 1 in 5 workers looking for change
In Careerbuilders latest survey, it wasn’t the fact that nearly 1 in 5 workers were looking to switch careers that sparked my interest, instead it was the reasons why.
“The top reasons for switching careers include wanting to pursue a more interesting line of work (67 percent), higher pay (54 percent), more career advancement (41 percent) and increased stability (36 percent).”
It’s that first reason, that moved my gut. 67% want to pursue a more interesting line of work. That was a shocker. Even in a recovering economy when job security is more important than ever before, workers are reassessing their careers to the point of potentially ditching one for another that might be more “interesting.”
Seems job “significance” is trumping job “security” for this slice of 67%. It would have been “interesting” to delve a bit deeper into what these workers meant by more “interesting.”
- Did they want jobs that were more personally rewarding?
- Did they want to do work that was making a difference or was significant in the grand scheme of the planet?
- Were they looking to do work that was more aligned with their life goals and purpose?
No matter the reason, respondents revealing they want to switch to a more “interesting” career or field in the next two years, says a lot about the way we are redefining success and significance in our work life. People are waking up, even out of last years “career chaos economy” to a brand new chapter.
When times get tough, and many are brought to their knees, it’s often a time of revelation and self contemplation. Taking a look at our work lives and career from the inside out, might just be the greatest workplace trend of 2010. Check out the WorkLife Nation webisode from this week for some inspiration.
2 Responses to “Careerbuilder survey shows 1 in 5 workers looking for change”
By taking the time to reflect on our careers we can then make the direction more to our liking. I know there were times I felt pushed around by the companies I worked for. When this happened I too wanted more interesting work.
It’s funny how relationships can dictate how we truly feel about our job. If we have good relationships the work seems so much more enjoyable.
Comment made on January 11th, 2010 at 4:02 pmAt least that’s been my experience.
Hi Karl, I think what you say about relationships is so important. In life it’s what often sustains us, but when the workplace itself is so uncertain, we often lose sight of the very thing that can lift us from the chaos.
Comment made on January 14th, 2010 at 12:37 amThanks for your thoughtful response. Thanks always for your thoughtful responses – come to think of it!
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