If you’re thinking of switching careers, then the best book to read is probably Switchers: How Smart Professionals Change Careers and Seize Success by Dawn Graham as discussed on the Suggested Reading page. In the meantime, it’s worth reading this new Fast Company article:
Forty-one percent of the global workforce is likely to consider quitting their job this year, with 46 percent contemplating a “major pivot or career transition,” reports Microsoft. Meanwhile, half of American workers are considering a career change, reports CNBC—while in September, a record-breaking 4.4 million Americans—3 percent of the workforce— actually quit their jobs. The so-called “Great Resignation” shows no signs of stopping.
What’s going on?
“We’re in a moment in time that has staying power,” says Ellen Taaffe, a clinical assistant professor of management and organizations and director of Women’s Leadership Program at Kellogg.
COVID has had a huge impact on most of our daily lives. The pandemic has emphasized that life is short, and also that, for better or for worse, things once viewed as nonnegotiable or intractable—from in-person work and school to busy social calendars—now appear more up for debate. In short, employees are looking at the options available to them with new eyes. And, because companies have retooled everything from strategy to operations, they’re still evolving. Which means even more opportunities for employees. “You can stay and redesign, reinvent both yourself and your company, or you can create what you want somewhere else. COVID has accelerated all of this.”
Moreover, Taaffe says, thanks to the tight labor market, firms may be more receptive to giving employees what they seek. This makes now a great moment to consider a pivot, whether that is to a new function within your company, or to a new company or industry. “I think there’s no better time to take stock of what’s important to you, to imagine a new future, and to strategize in how to get there,” she says.
She explains how to get started. Read the full article at Kellogg Insight.