More than half of working Brits ‘aren’t sure’ they are in the right career
More than half of working Brits ‘aren’t sure’ they are in the right career, a study has found.
Researchers who polled 2,000 employees also revealed four out of ten plan to change careers within the next two years as a result.
It also emerged many employees who are currently dissatisfied with their current careers are planning to try other options.
Furthermore one third of Brits in employment said they don’t enjoy their current line of work, and almost half (47 per cent) admitted they don’t find their careers fulfilling.
The study also found one quarter of Brits are keen to switch careers in order to learn a new skill, with one third hankering for a better work-life balance.
More than one fifth said they yearned for a career with more flexibility.
The research was commissioned by First Direct bank to mark the launch of a new current account switching incentive, which allows new customers to choose from online self-development courses, Expedia vouchers or various electronic gadgets, including a Fitbit Charge 2 or Bose Soundsport wireless headphones.
Joe Gordon, head of First Direct, said: “It’s easy to associate career switching with the early years of your working life, but our research found the desire to do something completely different spans every age and generation.
“Even 42 per cent of the over-45s plan to change careers in the next two years.
“Money isn’t the driving factor behind a career switch. People are keen to learn new skills, or to do something they find more personally satisfying.
“Almost one in five are considering teaching, nursing or charity work as an alternative career.”
Overall, starting up a business or working for yourself is the top choice for British workers (18 per cent). The under-25s are the keenest to run their own business, with one in five (21 per cent) planning a start-up.
However, a quarter of Brits say they can’t afford to switch careers and a fifth think they are too old to start over.
Of the one in four workers who have already made a career switch, 15 per cent started their own business, 12 per cent changed to a career working with children – such as teaching – and one in ten began a career in healthcare.
Joe Gordon added: “Whether you’re Generation Z, a millennial or a baby boomer, there are more opportunities than ever before to learn a new skill or turn a hobby into a career.
“That’s why our new incentives to move your current account to First Direct include a wide range of online self-development courses. If you want to make a fresh start by learning a new skill or getting a qualification, now’s your chance.”