Why it’s time to change careers

It may be time to take a leap of faith. Source: ThinkStock

HOW happy are you in your current career? If new research is anything to go by, chances are the answer is "not very".

A survey by Seek Learning has found nearly half of Australians are unhappy in their jobs, with 49 per cent claiming their current career does not reflect their "true calling".

The study also found more than half of Australians are considering a career change, with 34 per cent of those intending to do so within the next two years.

Tony Barrett, general manager of Seek Learning, said it was a surprising finding. "It's a shame, almost a tragedy, that more than half of people are considering a career change," he said.

"That implies they're not in the career they want to be in, and that has a lot of implications for things such as productivity and happiness in the workplace. When you've got 50 per cent of people looking to get out, that will have an impact."

Of those intending to change career, 60 per cent said it would be to follow their true calling, 52 per cent said they were motivated by money, while 39 per cent said work-life balance was the key factor.

Only one in ten said they would never consider changing their career.

Interestingly, it seems making a change is usually seen as the right move — 62 per cent of those surveyed had changed careers, with nearly nine in ten saying it had been a good decision.

"The thing that really stands out is that while there are a lot of people who want to make a change, a lot of people have and don't regret it at all," Mr Barrett said. "You've just got to take that step at some point."

Education was highlighted as a major barrier to moving into the ideal career. Nearly a third said their level of education or training was holding them back from having a career in the true calling, but only 52 per cent knew what course they need to study.

The reasons given for not considering further study were cost (54%), time (33%) and feeling too old to reap the benefits (21%).

Three quarters of people surveyed agreed that they will need to upskill to remain relevant in the workforce as they get older, while 53 per cent said their true calling would change repeatedly throughout their career.

The study was conducted in July this year by Newspoll on behalf of Seek, covering a nationally representative sample of 806 Australians, excluding those who were retired, students, unemployed or full-time stay-at-home parents.

Are you happy in your current career? Leave your comments below or email the writer at frank.chung@news.com.au

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