In March 2021 the “Great Resignation” began and the number of people quitting their job in the U.S. reached an all-time high. While some of them truly stopped working for good, statistics show that most Americans who quit their job do so for a career change. Reason why, another name to indicate the Great Resignation is the Great Reshuffle. After all, most people in the U.S. and the world either need or want to work, so it’s obvious they’ll look for a new opportunity.
But why is the number of people leaving their job for a career change rising? After all, making a career switch means changing your profession, which is a more radical choice than just changing your company or team. We are talking about, for example, project managers at tech companies turned gardeners, elementary school teachers becoming technical writers, and insurance agents converting to real estate.
Changing careers is an important decision that you should neither take too lightly nor avoid because of fear. In this article, we analyze what’s pushing more workers towards a new career and share tips to help you decide if the time is right for you.
Top Reasons to Make a Career Change
While your career journey is unique to you, there are some common reasons that might drive you to switch careers. Let’s explore them below.
Your Career Doesn’t Pay Enough
Our Monster poll confirms that wanting a higher salary is always one of the top reasons for changing careers. Families grow, unexpected bills come up, the cost of life increases periodically, and even your time off is hardly free –try not to spend money when on vacation and let us know how it goes. When you reach your peak salary and want or need to earn more, a career switch might be the solution you’ve been looking for.
You Can’t Find Opportunities to Grow
Sometimes, it is only in a new career that you can reach your full potential. When you have no space to grow, you risk losing motivation at work and might even doubt your worth there. A career that gives you opportunities to grow also stimulates you to:
- challenge yourself
- create new goals
- obtain a higher salary
- learn new skills
- unleash your full potential
You Want a Healthier, More Positive Work Environment
Changing jobs within your field will likely be enough if your goal is to improve your wellbeing at work by finding a good manager or boss. However, if your career is significantly impacting your physical or mental health, or you simply don’t have a passion for it, then a radical change might be a better choice.
Be aware that all careers come with challenges. It’s ok to love your career for a long time and then suddenly find it too unfulfilling, stressful, hard on your body, or simply not as healthy and positive as you wish.
You Seek a Career with Better Benefits
Workers in the U.S. are demanding better benefits. The most sought-after employment benefits are:
- flexibility
- child care support
- paid time off
- employer-covered healthcare insurance
- higher job security
- pension and retirement plans
You Want to Follow Your Passion
Mark Twain famously said, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life”. Of course, this saying is not exclusively true, as there are many factors influencing how you feel about your career. However, it can become true when all conditions are aligned so choosing a career by following your passion can indeed make you happier and more fulfilled.
The Smart Approach to Jump-Starting Your Career Change
Successfully changing careers requires choosing the right approach. After all, this is a major life change, it isn’t like buying a new pair of shoes. Watch your step and learn how to change careers the smart way. Employ these powerful strategies to make your career change a reality.
Determine Your Leverage Points
Be prepared and make a list of all the things you can leverage in your career switch, such as:
- transferable skills that are in demand across different industries
- type of companies you’ve worked for
- problems you’ve solved at work, such as a corporate crisis
- projects you’ve taken part in, such as product launches and mergers
- job environments you’ve worked in
- your personal and professional network
Don't Prioritize Salary
The chance of earning a better salary is a common reason why many turn to a new career but it shouldn’t be your only driving factor for such an important decision. There are probably tons of careers with a salary higher than yours so, when choosing the best one for you, look for reasons deeper than money, such as how well it matches your interests, values, or strengths.
In the end, salary may be part of the reason you’re unhappy, but it’s probably not the only reason. Keep in mind that you may even have to take a pay cut if you're only able to enter a new industry at a lower level due to a lack of experience.
Do Your Research First
Career research and planning are essential to making wise, considered choices. Let us tell you a true story about someone, who one day, tired of working in IT, decided to Google “highest-paying jobs” and pick the one he thought would be the fastest and easiest to master: real estate agent. However, he failed to notice he lacked most of the skills required for that career. He did not enjoy working with people and ended up hating it.
Get the lowdown on your target industries and research the hiring outlook, wage growth, and most in-demand skills. Read trade publications, Bureau of Labor Statistics data, how to become guides, and anything that ensures you’re not making your decision in a vacuum.
Connect with People in Your Target Field
Building your network can be critical to your success. Connect with people in your target field to validate your interest and learn about opportunities. This allows you to gain the full picture about a career until through talking with people with lots of experience. To learn and grow faster in your new career, consider finding a career mentor you can rely on for guidance, support, and advice.
Take Your Time Deciding on a Career Change
An oldie but a goodie in terms of advice is the warning to not quit your job until you have another lined up. Of course, if you’re in the fortunate position to afford to take time off to solely focus on your next career moves, go ahead!
It is totally fine, and sometimes necessary, to take a break to plan what you want to do next or study and train to acquire knowledge and master new skills for your career transition. Just avoid quitting prematurely, carefully consider your timing, and take time to strategize changing careers.
Re-Focus Your Resume
You might not have to re-write your whole resume from scratch, but you should always optimize it for your new career. Periodically edit it to emphasize relevant qualifications according to the most requested skills and credentials in each job listing. You can even use resume samples organized by industry and job type to help you craft yours.
Is it Ever Too Late to Make a Career Change?
If you’ve been paying attention to all we wrote in this article until now, you probably already know the answer to this question but let us be even more clear: changing careers is something you can do at any time of your life. Plenty of people looking for a new career do so after having reached the peak in their current one, which for most doesn’t happen before their 40s or 50s.
There are some specific tips on how to change careers at different ages, such as:
- how to make a career change at 30
- how to make a career change at 40
- how to make a career change at 50
Common Career Changes
Most people changing careers choose one where they’re able to put to good use the skills and experience they already have. The following are some of the most common career transitions by profession.
- Journalists: public relations executives, content writers, social media managers, communication specialists, copywriters, marketing roles
- Teachers: writers, librarians, HR managers, educational consultants, curriculum developers, event planners, nannies, coaches
- Healthcare workers: nurses, doctors, professors, medical writers, recruiters, quality control specialists, PR account executives, social workers, pharmaceutical sales reps, other managerial roles
- Engineers: graphic designers, technical writers, patent examiner, project manager, professors, consultants, trainers, data scientists, business analyst, other managerial roles
- Software developers: technical recruiters, QA specialists, product manager, customer support, teachers, technical writers
- Pharmacy technicians: medical assistants, customer service representatives, medical receptionists, patient transporters, medical coders
- Sales representatives:marketing specialists and managers, PR strategists, business development executives, customer care representatives, real estate agents, other managerial roles
- Lawyers: journalists, professors, business and career advisors, PR specialists, authors and technical writers, mediators, political careers
- Social workers: teachers, real estate agents, mediators, psychologists, sociologists, school and career counselors, HR managers, paralegals
- Hairstylists: cosmetologists, pet groomers, beauty therapists, content creators, career instructors, estheticians, event planners, massage therapists
Find the Perfect Career Change Opportunity with Help from Monster
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