Change is scary, particularly in your career. But experts are saying that it may ne necessary to thrive.
Psychology and labor expert Allison Gabriel workers should redefine what their career looks like for them every dozen or so years in a field. “We’re seeing people decide 10 or more years into their careers that they want to try something completely new,” she told Bloomberg.
This speaks to the monumental shift we’ve seen in the workforce over the last two years, coined as the Great Resignation in which workers are leaving their jobs in droves.
Paul French, of UK-based recruiting firm Intrinsic Executive Search, told Bloomberg that workers should think about a major pivot about every decade. “The benefits outweigh the downsides,” he said. He suggested trying to enter into a more dynamic industry for a salary boost and access to a more robust professional and social network. “To thrive, you must expand your contact list, and a career change is one of the best ways to do that.”
Nitya Chawla, assistant professor at the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University told Bloomberg that just like personally, a person can have a bit of a mid-career crisis that prompts the strong urge for change. “Mid-career, you’re neither learning as much nor getting promoted as often, and your skills and responsibilities can stagnate,” she said. Chawla recommended to not sit on your desire for a pivot and instead said to lean in on your feelings of obligation toward the current job, especially if your career feels like a chore. She said aligning yourself with organizations that are reflect with common values, are the best way to reactive your sense of purpose in work. “It’s important to switch your job,” she says. “Ultimately, organizations want that, too, because disengaged employees are less productive and less healthy, both physically and psychologically.”