Search Results for: career change statistics

Changing Careers Often Is The New Norm

The average person will now change careers five to seven times during their working life according to career change statistics.

With an ever increasing number of career choices, 30% of the workforce will now change careers or jobs every 12 months.

By the age of 42 you may already have had about ten jobs. [D.O.L]

What Does This Mean for You?

• Employers expect, or at least accept, that workers will be changing jobs a lot more often these days – about every 3 years. Changing jobs often is not a bad thing any more
• If you are changing jobs less than every three years, you are in the minority.
  You may need to have an explanation when you front up to your next job interview about why you have changed jobs so infrequently!
• If you are going to change careers, you should plan for it; plan financially (you may take a pay hit or need to fund new qualifications): plan by setting up new connections and networks (that’s how most jobs are got); and learn how to market yourself well. Also allow time to potentially engage in some new career training.

What Causes Workers to Want to Change Careers More Frequently?

• Is three years about how long it takes for people to run into work culture problems, or personal conflicts in their working environment?
• Do we become more aware of our natural abilities as we get older and want to ensure we use these in our work life more?
• Do we simply get bored easier these days as a result of having many more career options?

What Are the Most Common Reasons For Career Change?

Career change statistics from the D.O.L don’t tell us much about why people change jobs. But here are some likely reasons based on other sources.

1. Frustration and disillusionment – not using my natural abilities in my current job.
2. Not happy with management.
3. Redundancy or business closure.
4. Working in a diminishing industry.
5. Realignment of personal or spiritual values (i.e.) a work and life re-evaluation.
6. Dislike of the organizational culture.
7. Want more money.

For more information on what motivates workers to leave a job, see career change reasons.

The Pros and Cons of Making a Career Switch

Career change statistics suggest we will change jobs more often, but is this a good thing?
Pros and cons:

• Less likely to get bored.
• You get to experience a greater variety of job types and organizational cultures.
• You will increase your collection of skills, thereby improving future job options
• You will meet more people (which is ideal for networking for your next job).

Some negative results of this could be:

• Having different career choices available means that you might be tempted to change careers too frequently.
• Prospective employers may think ‘hey this guy will be gone in 12 months’, thereby making them reluctant to employ you.
• You may also miss out on the opportunity to climb the ladder within an organization simply because you aren’t there long enough.
• Some people may also make some unreasonable judgments on your stability as an employee.

Are You Making a Career Change or a Job Change?

One of the problems when assessing career change statistics is to differentiate between making a job change and making a career change.

For example if a schoolteacher secures a new job as a corporate sales trainer, has she changed careers or just changed jobs?
You could argue that she has changed careers from education to sales.
Or you could argue that she has changed jobs from schoolteacher to adult teacher.

What about someone who transitions from a sales representative to a marketing manager.
You could argue that they have not changed careers because they are still in the sales field.

But marketing experts would say that sales and marketing are two completely different fields and that this transition does constitute a career change.

A Good Reason to Change Jobs

One of the most common reasons people leave a job is because they are dissatisfied and unfulfilled with their work.

Up to 80% of people are not happy in their current job according to research and the main reason for this is a mismatch between what they are good at and what they are currently doing.

So we should always be trying to move closer to a job that uses our natural gifts and abilities. This is the only way we can experience fulfillment in a career.

Find out what you are good at in life

The link to the assessment above considers your past life to discover what you are naturally good at (everyone’s good at something). It does involve a bit of work completing it, but it is time well spent. It will also become valuable long term as you can revisit the results over again as you make future career decisions. You can also use it when applying for jobs to provide evidence to an employer of what you are good at.

As a professional with over 15 years experience as a career consultant, I believe this assessment is probably the best career assessment instrument available.

Sample Career Development Plan: Free Template + Career Development Plan Examples

Use these free career development plan examples to create your own one to five career development plan. Step-by-step instructions. Continue reading “Sample Career Development Plan: Free Template + Career Development Plan Examples”

Personal Marketing in Job Search

Successful job search is a lot more about knowing how to market yourself well to employers, than having the best qualifications and experience. Continue reading “Personal Marketing in Job Search”

Is it time to leave your job?

You know it’s best to leave when you feel like you can’t breathe there every single day. You find it hard to sleep at night thinking about tomorrow’s work. Continue reading “Is it time to leave your job?”

Finding Career Fulfillment – Who Are You

Is career fulfillment eluding you? Who is the real YOU in regards to your career? Continue reading “Finding Career Fulfillment – Who Are You”

How To Get A Degree Without Going To College

If you want a job that requires a graduate degree, but you can’t afford college costs, this novel and creative approach could be worth considering. Continue reading “How To Get A Degree Without Going To College”

Career Development Plan – Six Ways It Will Bring Greater Fulfillment in Your Career

Why have a career development plan? Quite simply it can increase your income substantially. Gold Coast career counselor explains how easy it is. Continue reading “Career Development Plan – Six Ways It Will Bring Greater Fulfillment in Your Career”

Is a Midlife Career Change Worth the Risk?

A midlife career change can be perceived as a risky move. So what are the chances that it will result in a more rewarding and fulfilling career. It all depends on your career change motivation. Continue reading “Is a Midlife Career Change Worth the Risk?”

Career Change Statistics: How Many Times Will You Change Jobs in Your Life?

Career change statistics suggest that you will be making a career change 5-7 times during your work life. Why are we changing careers more frequently than ever before? Continue reading “Career Change Statistics: How Many Times Will You Change Jobs in Your Life?”

Different Career Choices: How to Choose Your Best Job Fit!

You have so many different career choices but there is one thing you absolutely must do if you want this career change opportunity to bring meaning to your life! Click here to find out what is. Continue reading “Different Career Choices: How to Choose Your Best Job Fit!”

How Can Employment Recruitment Agencies Help You?

Employment recruitment agencies are a great resource for career changers. They can get you in front of employers, provide insightful industry information and provide general career change help. Continue reading “How Can Employment Recruitment Agencies Help You?”

How Career Change Coaching Can Save You Money!

Career change coaching can save you money, speed up the career transition process, and with the right career change consultant, increase your self-awareness of what you are good at. Continue reading “Why Career Change Coaching Can Save You Money!”

Everyone Works For Themselves

You might be paid for the work you do by your boss but everyone really works for themselves.

Yes, your boss pays your wages now, but you ultimately pay your own wages in the future by what you do now. If an employee works harder and smarter than she is expected to, sooner or later she finds herself being paid more.

If an employee begins to pick up extra responsibilities that are not required of him, pretty soon he’ll find himself in higher paid positions involving extra responsibility.

But its hard to put in that extra effort if you don’t like your job or aren’t naturally gifted in it.
My job as a career counselor is to help people find out what they are really good at so that whether you get paid by the boss or are self employed, you are ultimately working for yourself.

PS: If the work for yourself idea really appeals, take a look at what is probably the most statistically successful work-for-yourself business around at the moment.

Thank Gods It’s Friday

It’s a song, a restaurant chain, a 1978 disco movie and a British television show. Many of us have said it -“Thank God It’s Friday”.

Sometimes it is an expression of looking forward to a well-earned break after a busy week at work.

More often than not, it means I hate my job.

The fact that the phrase is so dominant in our culture is evidence of our dissatisfaction with work.

Research suggests that somewhere between 60 to 80% of all workers do not like their job. The biggest reason for this is because they are not doing something they are naturally gifted in. A simple mismatch between what jobs they are naturally motivated to do and the work they actually perform.

If you are in this position, the single most important thing you can do, in the words of Socrates, is to “Know Thyself”. Lack of self-knowledge and the lack of action with that self knowledge, are the single biggest reasons for prolonged job dissatisfaction.

Make an appointment with a career counselor, work through this free career assessment exercise or simply get away in a quiet place on your own and dig deep to unravel what it is that you really want to do with your life.

And after some proactive soul searching you could be on your way to joining that minority group who genuinely thank God it’s Monday.

Is Your Job Fun?

Fun is not a word we often associate with our career. But the thought “this is going to be fun” came to me recently as I prepared for a project.

And it reminded me of something renowned author and career counselor John Krumboltz would sometimes ask clients who were considering their next career move, “What job would be fun to try next?”.

For most people, that might be quite an unexpected question to come from a career counselor. It may appear to be an overly simplistic approach.
But often simplicity can be best.

What job would be fun to try next?

The question can invoke responses that are likely to unmask the things we are most naturally motivated towards; those activities that draw out our greatest passions.

Although the word fun may appear to be a bit unsophisticated, it also lacks complication. It has the ability to push aside past experiences, expectations of society, family friends and zero in on what your true passions in life are.

So what answer would you give to the question “What job would be fun to try next?”

What Is the Meaning of Career?

Last Sunday our family spent four hours at a Christmas party that challenged me to think about the real meaning of career.
The party was for cancer children (our 16yr old son was diagnosed with leukemia last Christmas).
It was attended by about 70 families and was held at a beautiful country estate on the outskirts of our city.
It was, without doubt the best Christmas party I have ever attended.

This estate was set up like a fair ground for kids.
It had pony rides, merry-go-round, side shows for the children to win prizes, ice cream trucks and as much food and drink as any child could consume. And of course all of it was free.
Later on Father Christmas arrived and 200 Christmas presents were given out to the those with cancer as well as all their siblings.

But the most amazing thing about this party was that the hosts weren’t there!

You see they were an elderly couple in their eighties who recently were both hospitalized.
Because of their condition they had indicated that this would be their last year of being able to run the party.
They had personally financed and planned this event for 39 years (that’s almost a persons entire working life).
Someone I spoke to said that it cost the couple approximately $30,000 each year to hold the party.

Yet I suspect if someone had posed the seemingly ridiculous question to them, “What do you do for a career?”, they would most likely have responded that they didn’t work anymore!
And that got me thinking about the meaning of career.

I’ve always said there is a direct correlation between achieving a fulfilling and meaningful career and life, and how much a person feels they are making a difference in other peoples lives.
Based on that definition, not only did this elderly couple still have a career, but one of the most successful I know.

And based on that same definition how does your current career and life stack up?
Do you feel you are making enough difference in other peoples lives?

Do you need permission to pursue your career?

A good number of people who come to me for career change advice, essentially do indeed know what they want to do. But often they need “permission” to do what’s in their heart.

They need permission because there is another part of them that feels they shouldn’t really want to do that type of work.

Or they shouldn’t be wanting to change careers at this time in their life. Or they have a family to provide for and taking these types of career change risks is not responsible. There may be a particular career path they are naturally passionate and motivated about, however there are often barriers preventing them from pursuing it.

Sometimes these barriers are internal [e.g. fears it won’t work out], sometimes external [I don’t think my family and friends will respond to this very well].

These concerns are very real and have often inhibited people for many years from making quality career choices.

Perhaps as a result of seeking career change advice, it transpires that the work you want to do the most is a very unusual occupation and you’re not sure you’re ready for the reactions of other people when you announce you’re new career direction.

The Expectations of Others

There can be tremendous external pressure from society, from friends, from family, to do a particular type of work, or to not do a particular type of work.

To finish a degree even though you don’t like it. To stay in that job even though you have loathed it for the last five years. What will people think if I leave for what they might perceive as an unusual occupation?

The job I am now doing is a “good” job and I would be a fool to leave [even though I know in my heart it is time for a job change].

One of the things that frustrates me as a career counselor is to see people continue through life and never have a crack at the one thing that deep down they are passionate about.

Take the plunge, you have my permission.

How Going to Funerals Can Help Your Career

I was chatting with a friend recently about how much I like going to funerals.

When you get to witness an account of a person’s life soon after they’ve gone, it can be a great catalyst to examine your own life and career direction to see if its heading the right way.

I find it very worthwhile to get away on my own for an hour after a funeral to contemplate any changes I’d like to make as a result of lessons learned from someone else’s life.

And to plan some goals around that.

It is some of my most valuable time for thinking and contemplation.

I find I observe things from a different perspective. One that I don’t often observe while caught up in the habits of busy life.

It is an ideal time for planning life and career goals and helps us consider what type of work really matters.

Your Gift is not for You!

I’ve noticed over the years those who are happiest and most fulfilled in their careers are those who have come to learn that their gifts and abilities are not for them.

They are for other people.

The most joyful people in career and life, are those who operate under a paradox. The more they use their gifts to help others open-heartedly, effectively giving themselves away, the more fulfilled they become in their career.

I’m reminded of the scripture “Those who try to save their life will lose it but those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”

Nature and Career Decisions

As I sat in my car at the beach today working on my laptop, I was reminded how much more creative I was while working among nature.
If you are working through some major career decisions, I would recommend you take half a day off and go for a walk in the forest, along the beach or into the mountains to provide yourself with the best possible environment for your career decisions.
Big decisions require the best resources and I’m convinced our environment is a factor that impacts on our efficiency and creativity more than most realize.
Merry career decision-making!

Making a Professional Career Change: Do You Have a Choice?

Considering a professional career change? If you are disillusioned or depressed in your current profession, finding a career that provides fulfillment may not be an option! Continue reading “Making a Professional Career Change: Do You Have a Choice?”

Have you discovered anything new about yourself lately?

I guess career counselors should be some of the best at working out what they are really good at. In theory we should be the happiest people at work. If we haven’t found our career ideal, how on earth should you expect us to help you find yours. Having said that I realize that it is an evolving journey even for those in the profession.

So I was encouraged today to get another little snippet of revelation about my own likes and dislikes as a career counselor. I have been aware how much I enjoy helping people in careers and work-life fields, but today as I was recording an audio message, something was reignited as I rediscovered how much more I enjoy delivering my help verbally rather than in written form.

It’s these little realizations about our giftings that if we take notice of them, they can add up to a big difference in the satisfaction we get from our work.

I believe these little discoveries of self are always lurking and wanting to reveal themselves if we are listening and watching.

Have you discovered anything new about yourself lately? Keep an eye out. They want to talk to you!

Career Assessment Tools: Which are the best?

There is a dizzying array of career assessment tools available these days. From a free online career aptitude test to a two day career assessment inventory. But it would appear some are better than others! Continue reading “Career Assessment Tools: Which are the best?”

Why I Love ‘Real’

I was listening to Tom Peters today and he reminded me why I like him. He is very REAL. I’m not an advocate of cussing (although cussing is often only the use of a correct word in the wrong place, e.g. bastard, bitch etc), but Tom Peters swore today not to impress his audience but because he felt “pissed off” with something.

Most of the time when I hear people swear, they do it to impress or try to be funny and usually it does neither.

But it got me thinking about REAL. How we all love people who are REAL, but how most of us aren’t much good at it.

I spend some of my time building my career Site Build It Website and in the instruction manual, the word REAL keeps popping up. They tell us that to build web pages that people like to read, you need to be REAL. Get rid of the facade, the pretending to be someone else and just give them you, warts and all.

But it doesn’t come naturally. Why do we find it hard to be real? Because if we are real, it involves revealing parts of us that are not perfect. It makes us vulnerable. We run the risk that others may not like us. And we want to be liked…NO, we crave to be liked. Actually more than liked…..Loved.

Being loved is one of our primary needs as human beings and we will go to great lengths to get it.

The lack of love (rejection) is the cause of a great many ills. Many people are unable to achieve success in life, or cant make a relationship work or end up in prison due to the lack of love.

So what’s the connection between being real and being loved. When we take the risk to be more real, to be more vulnerable, people connect with us more easily and like us more readily and eventually love us more.

Build blazing websites with Genesis and Atomic Blocks.

The Gutenberg editor uses blocks to create all types of content, replacing a half-dozen ways of customizing WordPress, bringing it in line with modern coding standards, and aligning with open web initiatives. That sounds pretty great huh?

Try Atomic Blocks Today

• 5 Reasons Why a Career Quiz Could Be Damaging
• 68 Job Interview Answers That Can Help Win That Job
• About
• Are God and Work Connected?
• Are You in the Wrong Job?
• Are You in the Wrong Job?
• Blog
• Career Advice – Freelance Sports Writer
• Career Advice Gold Coast
• Career as a Motivational Speaker
• Career Assessment Help
• Career Assessment Tests Not Recommended As Quickfix Solutions
• Career Change Advice
• Career Change Coaching: 6 Benefits of Working with A Career Professional
• Career Change Education – Do You Need Retraining to Change Careers?
• Career Change Reason: Why Most People Change Careers
• Career Change Resume Writing : 6 Secrets To Writing Great Career Change Resumes
• Career Change Statistics
• Career Decision Time – Should I Relocate?
• Career Decision Time – Should I Relocate?
• Career Development Article on Maximizing Your Career Potential
• Career Development Coaching: Does It Work?
• Career Development Theory: An Old Theory Makes a Comeback?
• Career Finder Tips and Free Job Search Help
• Career Survey – Worker Satisfaction of Employees & Self-Employed
• Career Testing Losing Credibility Among Respected Career Counselors
• Career Tests – Do They Work
• Computer Programming Career Change
• Computer Programming Career Change
• Contact
• Corporate Survivor
• Different Career Choices: How to Choose Your Best Job Fit
• Does Career Development Coaching Work?
• Does Career Development Coaching Work?
• Doing important things too quickly can lead to disastrous results.
• Dream Career Finder
• Ethical issues Involved when using a career personality test
• Fastest Way to Get Great Jobs on the Gold Coast, Australia
• Fastest Way to Get Jobs In Brisbane & Gold Coast, Australia
• Five Career Development Tools to Boost Your Career
• Five Keys to Choosing an Online Degree
• Five Year Career Development Plan
• Free Audio Download – 7 Secrets of Finding a Good Job Fast
• Free Career Assessment
• Free Online Career Help
• Frequently Asked Questions
• From Architecture to Film Art Director Career…. Is It possible?
• Gold Coast Employment Help
• Gold Coast Resume Service
• Gold Coast Resume Writing
• Graduate Job Interview Advice
• Herbal Medicine Career Opportunity in New Zealand or Australia
• How Can Employment Recruitment Agencies Help You?
• How Career Aptitude Tests May Impede Career Counseling Processes
• How To Benefit from Life and Career Coaching?
• How to Choose a Career
• How To Get A Degree Without Going To College
• How to Get a Good Job: Gold Coast Australia
• I Chose the Wrong Degree
• Information Technology Career Change?
• Is a Midlife Career Change Worth the Risk?
• Is it the Right Time for Making a Career Change?
• Is it time to leave your job?
• Job Interview Questions
• Job Skills List For Resume & CV Writing
• List of Careers: How to choose a job using a list of different careers
• Musing Arboriculture Career
• My account
• My top 10 Job Interview Interview Tips
• Online IT Degree: Can I Make It Work?
• Personal Marketing Skills Critical in Job Search
• Resume Revamp – How to Get More Interviews
• Resume Revamp – Resume Not Getting Interviews
• Resume Revamp – Why Your Resume Isn’t Getting Interviews
• Sample Career Development Plan
• Simon Davies Career Advice Gold Coast
• Six Ways A Career Development Plan Can Achieve Success
• Stuck in a Job Rut
• Teaching career? I am not sure what career I should choose!
• Technical Writer Job Options
• Testimonials For Simon Davies Career Consultant
• The boss drove me crazy
• The Hidden Job Market
• The Ten Hottest Careers
• Thinking of Making a Professional Career Change?
• Web Designer to 3D Animator Career Change?
• What Career Training Do You Really Need?
• What Is Career Development
• What is the Best Career Assessment Tool?
• What to Do If You’re Stuck in An Unrewarding Job
• When It’s Time To Go!
• Who are you? …finding career fulfillment
• Why a Career Assessment Test May Not Be That Helpful
• Why Taking A Career Placement Test May Not Be A Good Idea
• Why You Should Include Testimonials in Your Resume

My most financially lucrative career decision was all about career timing.
In the 1980s, I opened two video libraries that became very successful.
The single biggest reason why they were successful was simply a matter of timing.
There was a massive demand that was untapped and I just happened to stumble across it at the right time.

Making a career change might be the right choice, but is the timing right?

Considering the issues outlined below will help you decide the best time for a job change.
Getting the timing right can mean the difference between long-term career satisfaction or heartache.

On the one hand, it’s important to quickly take advantage of any golden opportunities that present themselves during the course of your career.

On the other hand, pushing ahead in a new direction without your career change reason well defined may result in wasted effort and regrets down the track.

Six Timing Issues to Consider When Making a Career Change

1. Is it possible that a significant change within your organization could be just around the corner?
   For example, is there any likelihood that the business could be sold or closed down or down-scaled or redundancies made? Any of these types of events may cause you to speed up, slow down or abandon your job change objective.
   If redundancies were a possibility, should you be hanging around for a redundancy payout or should you be more focused on securing a new job before the other redundant workers become your competition?
2. Is there any chance of a buyout or looming merger?
   This could provide both opportunities and threats to your career.
   For example, a buy out by a much larger organization could offer some different career choices that might fit with your career change objective.
3. Are you up to speed with market predictions regarding the future of the industry you are considering a career change to?
   You may find things such as the Occupational Outlook Handbook useful to learn more about predicted trends in industries. [Specialist employment recruitment agencies can also be helpful with up-to-date industry and organization information.
   If you haven’t already done so do, consider visiting an agency that handles recruitment in your field.
   After communicating to them that you think it might be time for a career change, try to strike up a conversation that will allow you to uncover information about other organizations or industries that could be a target for you.]
4. How will timing affect the look of your resume?
   Will a job change now make it look like you change jobs too often?
   Not often enough?
   [There seems to be a trend for employers to like to see workers not staying too long, although this does vary from employer to employer].
   Career change statistics tell us that for most people, it’s time for a job change about every two years.
5. Is your new direction a professional career change?
   If so, is career change training required?
   And how confident are you that this new career will be easy to get work in after spending time and money on career change education.
6. Financially, is this the right time for a job change if new vocational training is required?
   How will this affect your family? [If you have one]

Making the Big Decision

It can become quite a task to pull all the information together to make a decision.

But decide you must.
Because if you don’t decide, you have already decided by default by not making a decision.

Although not one of the more traditional career assessment tools, this little piece of free decision-making software can be very helpful when making a career change decision. It automatically weighs up each part of the decision-making process for you and then presents you with the decision already made.

Another valuable tool to help you reach a quality career decision is to consider investing in some career change coaching. A career change coach can often help you consider aspects of your career decisions you may not otherwise have thought about.

There is tremendous value in verbalizing your ideas, aspirations, and concerns with a career consultant. Then working with them as you transition into your new career.

Final Word on Timing Your Change in Career

After you have worked through the issues above and have implemented your decision, remember that no decision can often be worse than a bad decision.

And even though we all want to make the right decision, a wrong decision that may cause some problems in the short term may actually have some positive spin-offs.

Many successful people will tell you that the best learning times in their life were often a result of wrong decisions.

If you feel it is time for a career change and you have carefully considered the issues outlined above, it might be time for a little risk!

Other Career Change Advice articles:
Dream Career Finder Assessment
Ten Hottest Careers
List of Careers