“The Great Resignation” - Questions to ask yourself before you change job or change career.
Are you thinking of joining “The Great Resignation” and leaving your current job or changing your career?
According to Associate Professor of Management at Texas A & M University, Anthony Klotz, many workers have resigned or are considering a job change as pandemic restrictions ease. Since the start of Covid 19, many have been put off resigning due to the lack of job prospects and opportunities. Now, as pandemic restrictions ease and workers are being called back to offices, more people are leaving or thinking of leaving their jobs and careers.
According to Microsoft Work Index, 41 per cent of people are likely to consider leaving their jobs within the next year. HR software company, Personio found 38 per cent of individuals were planning to quit their job in the next 6-12 months. This phenomenon of a huge percentage of people wanting to leave their jobs or change careers was coined by Klotz as “The Great Resignation”.
You may ask why so many people are leaving or thinking of leaving their jobs or planning a different path for their career? Here are some ideas why the Great Resignation is happening and why some people are planning a change in their careers. Do you relate to any of them?
Reasons for “The Great Resignation”
Over the pandemic, you may have got used to working with more freedom and control in your work. There was less travel and early morning flights or long commutes to the office. There was more working from home and more control over your own time. You may have moved house to have more space to work in at home or to be closer to family. This move may have meant you were further from your office, so you really don’t want to go back there.
However, the change in work patterns may have not suited you, (especially if you had children to homeschool). But for many, the new ways of working have been better than the old ways. Many employees do not want to return to the office….ever. If your employer is insisting on going back to the “9-5” in the office, this might not sit well with you and you might want to find an employer who allows more flexible working.
You may have felt unfairly treated over lockdown, either by your organisation or by your manager. Perhaps you had to carry on working whilst others were furloughed. And maybe you did not feel recompensed or appreciated enough for picking up other’s work.
Or, perhaps you did not want to be furloughed as others carried on at work. Being furloughed might seem like a good option but being furloughed brought its own issues of feeling insecure and worried about your future work.
You may have realised that without the team spirit and other’s company in the office, you don’t actually like the job you do. Zoom and Team online meetings just were not the same as face-to-face meetings and this led you to feel unmotivated. Working from home has left you unenthusiastic about your job. You are thinking of changing careers and making a pivot to work you would love to do.
You might now feel confident searching for a new job. You have held back looking for a new work opportunity over the pandemic as there was risk and uncertainty about the future of your career or sector of work. Looking at job sites you see there are now many more career opportunities to go for.
You feel your career has been on hold over the pandemic. There have been no career development opportunities in the organisation, or outwith. Working remotely made it difficult to network and find out about career development and career progression opportunities. Your career management was difficult but now you can get your career back on track and progress with the career trajectory you were on previously.
Your relationship was strained with your boss and now it’s time to go. Your boss was not supportive over the pandemic when you had difficult issues to deal with such as managing elderly parents or homeschooling your children. Or perhaps they were just not there. Many clients have told me that relationships became strained over lockdown where their managers were either over-demanding or just not present.
Your priorities have changed. If you or your loved ones had covid, you may be feeling differently about life. Having more time for things you love to do or being with people you want to be with has now become a priority over your work. You may want to work different hours or schedules or change from full time to part-time working. Perhaps early retirement is an option you are considering. Or changing your job or a change of career to something that fits your new way of living.
Thinking of Changing Jobs or Changing Careers?
If you are thinking of joining The Great Resignation and changing your job or changing your career can be a big step. You don’t want to be rash and hand in your notice without considering it properly and regretting it later.
Try answering these questions about your career planning first:
How long have I been feeling unhappy in my job?
Ask yourself how long have you been feeling like you want to leave your job or pivot to a new career? Has it just been during the time of the pandemic or were you considering a career move before? Everyone goes through ups and downs in their careers. If you have been feeling unhappy for a long time it really is worth considering doing something about it and considering what the best options are. Even if it is a short time, it is best to see how you can improve your work-life. So the obvious thing to ask is the next question - what is making me unhappy at work?
What is making me unhappy at work?
Many things can make you unhappy at work. Make a list of all the things you really can not stand at work. Is it the roles and responsibilities, your boss, others in the workplace? Or perhaps not having colleagues around you? Or is it overwhelm with workload or you are just not interested in what you do? Or you do not feel appreciated and there are not enough opportunities for career development or personal growth? Or perhaps you feel you are not using your strengths and natural abilities at work? Making a list to understand what makes you unhappy at work will help you decide if you want to quit your job or change your career direction totally. From your list, decide what work issues you can change and what you can’t. For example, if it is the job role itself, you might consider a change of career. If it is the culture in the organisation, your boss, or organisational values that clash with yours, you might think of switching jobs to another organisation. You might need some career advice or career coaching to help you figure out what route is best for you.
Have I spoken to my boss about what I am feeling?
Once you have your list of things you really do not like about your job, look over that list. What could you try to fix by speaking to your organisation? For example, if you really do not want to return to the office full-time, have you discussed this with your manager to negotiate a compromise? If you are bored or demotivated at work, have you discussed other options such as other projects you can be involved in or even the opportunity of a secondment, if that is an option? If you are overwhelmed with work, who can help you to manage it.
What has my career path been so far?
It is a great exercise to take a step back to get a birds-eye view of your career path so far, so you can make some sense of the decisions you have made in your career. In my Career Change Programme, I get my clients to draw a career timeline of what has bought them to this point. You will also see themes and patterns in what makes you happy at work and what does not. You may have invested a great deal in time, money and energy to get where you are now and feel it would be too much to lose if you changed careers. Or, your personal happiness and wellbeing may mean that this is the best way forward.
What would I gain and lose from quitting my job or quitting my career?
Do a pros and cons list of leaving your current job and changing to a new career. What would you lose and what would you gain? I have had clients who are miserable and unhappy at work but put up with it because they like the people at work and do not want to let others down by leaving. Sometimes you have to put yourself first for your own mental health. Good friendships will carry on even if you leave your place of work. However, changing jobs to do something similar for another employer may mean you have to make some compromises and it is important to weigh up the pros and cons of leaving an organisation to change jobs. Changing careers can mean even more compromise as it is rare to move from one career to another without financial implications.
Should I quit my job over my boss?
If your boss had not been supportive over the pandemic, perhaps they have struggled too. Everyone had their issues to deal with, whether that was homeschooling, managing elderly parents, difficulty adjusting to the changing work environment or other things you may not know about. However, if your boss was difficult to work with before and you have a toxic relationship, which was worse in the pandemic, perhaps there is more to it than forgiving and moving forward. If you are able to have a conversation about how you are feeling, that may help. Speaking to Human Resources might be an option. Or speaking to a careers advisor, career counsellor or career coach. Sometimes leaving is the only option when you are in a relationship that is destructive and affects your confidence and mental health.
Is my unhappiness at work to do with the job or to do with me?
Have another look at your list of things that make you unhappy at work. Are you being realistic in your expectations of what you want? If you have difficult relationships at work, is it the other people or you that cause the issues? If you find it hard to cope with work and the stress of work, would that be also different elsewhere? Sometimes it’s a great option to seek a career counsellor or career coach to discuss what you can do to make improvements at work and find different solutions to leaving a job or career.
How do I change careers with no experience in other fields?
Without a doubt, it is tricky to change a career when you have no experience in other fields. However, you will have developed plenty of transferable skills in your jobs and career. There may be opportunities of moving within your organisation to another area, gaining work experience by working for a charity or taking a course that can help you shift your career in a new direction. It all depends on what you want to do and how you want to manage your career. A career advisor, a professional career coach or a career counsellor will be able to help you find a path in a new career direction. Have a look at my career coaching Career Change Programme.
I want to leave my job but don’t know what else to do?
If you are thinking of a career change, the best place to start is to understand you. What are your skills, abilities, interests, personality and values? What motivates and fulfils you at work? From there you will come up with options and actions plans to make the best career decisions for you. In my career coaching Career Change Programme, we look at these areas and through a process including over 7 hours of one-to-one career coaching and career counselling and two psychometric assessments on personality and abilities will come up with a new direction for you. Check it out here.
Am I too old to change careers?
Never! If you are unhappy with what you do for work, life is too short to waste it being miserable. There are always options and if you have the motivation and enthusiasm to change careers, you are never too old. Some jobs such as counselling suit people with life experience. It’s just a matter of finding work that suits you more. I have had clients changing careers in their 20’s, changing careers in 30’s, changing careers in 40’s and even changing careers in 50’s and 60’s. If you are unsure of what to change your career to, it is a great idea to see a professional career coach, career counsellor or careers advisor. Have a look at my career coaching Career Change Programme.
I am Diana Dawson, Founder of Working Career. As a Professional Career Coach, Career Psychologist, Career Counsellor, Career Consultant, Executive Coach and Wellbeing at Work Coach, I work with organisations and individuals to help manage their careers.
I am an Accredited Master Coach with the Association for Coaching, a Coaching Psychologist and Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist with nearly 20 years of experience in the field.
I work with professional people from different sectors and backgrounds to cope and flourish at work. I also run Career Workshops and Wellbeing Workshops for organisations.
I can provide one-to-one career coaching in Edinburgh or zoom sessions worldwide. I can provide Career Workshops at your organisation or remotely. Find out more about me here