The great resignation is not yet over and due to changes in people’s attitude towards their current positions, the trend of starting a fresh in a new role or career has continued to affect the current market.

There are a lot of new and competitive opportunities available on the market now and for many, the past few years have really challenged us to reconsider how we want to live and dedicate our time. This has led to us rethinking our careers and how we define our success and happiness.

What is a career change?

There are a couple of different ways in which a career change may be defined. To some, a career change means working with a different employer especially if you have been working for a particular company for several years.

For others, moving into a different or more advanced position within the same field could be considered as a change of career. This could even take the form of a promotion within your current workplace.

Another definition to consider, is a move from one type of work to another. For example, you may have been teaching for several years then decide to take up a career in recruitment for a sector that you love (Just ask Helen!). This definition of a career change is probably more common as you are moving from one career into a completely new area.

But what are the most common motivations for wanting to make a change?

Well, there are a few reasons why professionals consider a change in career, all are important for organisations and workers to be aware of:

New challenges, progression and development

There may be no complaints about your current work situation, but you may feel like you have gone as far as you can within your current role. Just like our bodies need nourishment – so do our minds! Continued learning is important and being challenged within our careers keeps us motivated.Career progression and growth are equally important and considering the opportunities there are to do this, with your current employer important. Has there been a lot of support in your own professional development? Are there clear progression paths that will challenge you and continue your learning?

A salary increase

Perhaps you are buying a house, or you are planning on starting a family – whatever your motivations, it’s important that your career meets your financial needs. It’s as equally important that your salary realistically reflects your role responsibilities and level.

Recognition

If your workload is growing but your role continues to stay the same, you may start asking yourself if you are being acknowledged and recognised for all your hard work. With recognition employees feel valued, meaning they are more engaged, motivated and more likely to go the extra mile! According to the statistics and research from Quantum Workplace, organisations with formal recognition programs have 31% less voluntary turnover and they are 12x more likely to have stronger business outcomes.

Greater flexibility

Flexible working is a term that is widely used and while talking to professionals it’s often thought of as having more of an opportunity to work from home. While this has become more popular since the pandemic, I feel that flexibility should really mean – having a healthy work life balance.

Heather Moulder goes into more detail about the work life balance here but in a nutshell – it’s important for reducing stress and reducing the risk of burnout.

Heather discusses that creating a more balanced lifestyle isn’t easy and involves prioritising what’s truly important, taking control of our career path and simplifying our life. It’s important that no matter what career you choose – you can do these things for you and your employer should be supporting you with this.

“The only thing that’s constant is change”, Heraclitus.

Change isn’t always easy, but to keep growing, organisations and individuals need to reach outside of their comfort zones.

The opportunities are available now for both professionals and employers. Professionals can really assess their current careers and goals to make sure they are being met by their current employer, but also, employers can assess what they are currently offering within their own organisations. Just as we have reconsidered our own lives, perhaps that direction is needed within organisations to improve staff retention or attract new talent too. It’s important for everyone to recognise that change allows us to move forward in life and experience new and exciting opportunities.

Whichever direction you are looking to take your career or organisation, CY Partners collaborates closely with our clients and customers to tailor our talent solutions for successful recruitment and retention. We are specialists in our field meaning we know and understand our market – get in touch with us today to learn how we can support you.