Why Are More and More People Giving up Their Chosen Careers?

"If you like what you do, you won't work a single day of your life." (Confucius)

We often read about people giving up their jobs to pursue a new career path. For some of them, the reason may be dissatisfaction at work (generated by several factors) and the fact that there is no congruence between what they do and what they would like to do or what they feel.

When are people more likely to change careers?

Although there is no "predisposition" of a particular category for such changes, there are still some common situations in which professional reorientations occur. For example, they are common when the current professional field has been chosen by a life circumstance:

People who attended a college suggested by their parents (considering it "of the future") and later went on a career path accordingly (for example, they attended the Faculty of Accounting and Management Informatics and became accountants).

Some young people do not know who they are, do not have a good self-image, and "go with the tide" during school. So sometimes they choose according to what their circle of friends does and years later they reach a professional point that does not fulfill them. The needs of belonging and socialization prevailed at the beginning and the needs to fulfill the vocational potential were not weighed enough.

There are also families in which tradition prevails in choosing the profession. For example, there are those families of doctors or engineers (and not only) in which two or more generations follow the same path.

At the beginning of the road, I met young people who were looking to get hired to become financially independent, not counting so much in the field. They succeeded in this, they started a career in a certain area, then they evolved on that path and after several years of activity, they started to realize that they would have liked to have another profession.

For others, the choice is dictated by a successful professional model that they want to reproduce, but have not passed through their filter, to see if it suits them or not. The desire to become an entrepreneur exists in many of us, but it does not suit us all at any time in our lives.

Giving up a job to start a business on your own, in a field we do not know much about in practice, driven only by the example of a friend who has succeeded in this way, is not necessarily a well-balanced decision.

The above situations have in common superficial self-knowledge and, in general, little information about the labor market. In the lives of these people, at some point, something will happen that makes them realize that "they are not on their way" from a professional point of view and consider a change. Indeed, the implementation of this thought is influenced by several factors, which differ from one individual to another.

Sometimes, it can even be facilitated by a restructuring that is done in the company where he works, which can be a good opportunity to take a step back and evaluate how he would like to look in the future of the professional.

Many people are beginning to consider the solution of entrepreneurship if they feel assaulted at work and thus want to "have more control over the situation" to protect themselves. I met a person who, after decades of working in the banking field, lately even in management positions, chose to reorient himself professionally towards a cake business, which he developed from scratch, out of a passion for sweets.

Also, the big changes in people's lives (the birth of a child, the illness of a very close person, or even the person in question) make them reconsider their professional life and wonder what could work to make them feel fulfilled.

Whatever the situation, a career reorientation requires a lot of courage and good self-esteem.

What can a pressing need for career reorientation mean?

There are two possible causes of this need:

"Unhealthy" cause - reactions of running away from SOMETHING or avoiding SOMETHING. Here it should be analyzed whether the "flight" agrees with reality or not.

An escape from a situation perceived as difficult: conflict with the boss/colleagues, the conflict between what the person thinks is worthwhile from a professional point of view and what he receives from the employer (whether it is tasks or rewards/recognition), is an escape from SOMETHING, so an unhealthy reaction, because there is a real possibility that such challenges may occur in another area.

the "healthy" cause, the flight TO SOMETHING - more precisely, to the need to fulfill one's potential.

How can we make better decisions about choosing a career path?

The first step would be to distinguish between the desire to change the professional field and the desire to change the company. Often, people do not reject the field, but the employer, but the two end up mixing, and the tendency is to "leave" everything.

Here I would like to point out that, in my opinion, there is no ideal employer, but there are many companies with which people may want to stay for the long term - a more pronounced mobilization is needed to look for them. Thus, the experience gained in the field in which I have been active for years will be valued.

How do we know we're on the right track?

Usually, when people like what they do, they come to work with pleasure, they are motivated to develop, they do not feel when time passes and the effort made.

These things do not mean that these people do not feel tired after a busy period - but in their case, we are talking about satisfying fatigue, as a result of which they can recover more easily. It is a satisfaction doubled by the feeling that one's work matters, that it has a purpose.

The question that can sometimes arise is "Is there such a way for me? If so, what is it and how do I get to it?"

If changing the field is a real desire, I think the first step would be to analyze what we like to do and what resources we have in that direction, but in a very realistic way. Someone may like to sing, for example, but that doesn't mean he can become a singer (maybe he doesn't have a voice or he has a track record). For hobbies to become fields of activity, we must have skills, determination, constant.

Last but not least, it remains to be seen what the "step" will be in that new area and whether the risks can be taken. Especially if the change of domain comes after years of activity, people who want to reorient themselves must be aware that they should start from scratch. This often involves less money, insecurity, the need to receive support (and how it is received).

Sometimes, those who may share some technical details of a new field do not have the time or patience to help others, and this can lead to unpleasant situations.

Because migrating to another field (as an employee or entrepreneur) is a major decision that involves risks, fears, self-analysis, my recommendation is that before accessing psychological/vocational counseling/career counseling services. This type of intervention can make the difference between working passionately at a job and getting results with effort.