We all complain about our jobs in one way or another, but new research shows surprising new evidence about just how many of us openly hate our current role – to the extent that a large percentage of workers feel that they are stuck in the wrong career entirely.
The research was commissioned by banking firm Kalixa Pro and questioned 2,000 employees from various industries and fields. The results showed an incredibly high number of workers are unsatisfied with their positions to the point where some even consider their work ‘meaningless’.
• Of the 2,000 questioned, just under half believed themselves to be in the wrong career and are seriously contemplating moving into a new role entirely.
• One in five of those questioned cite the reason for their employment misery being that the job is too stressful or ‘meaningless’.
• Other top reasons include a lack of progession or believing they have achieved all they can from the position, as well as the hours being too long.
• 70% of people would prefer to work for themselves rather than take orders from above, with the top choices being owning a café or running a bed and breakfast.
• According to the research, the legal industry causes the most dissatisfaction.
What does this say about employment?
The results of this survey show a shocking lack of morale amongst the nation’s workers, with many believing themselves to be in the wrong career or industry. With lack of progression, long hours and doing a job they consider meaningless cited as reasons for not enjoying work, it’s easy to see how workers can start to feel despondent, and like it’s impossible to get out of their unhappy role. And with the economy still in the process of recovery, perhaps workers believing work is hard to find stay in secure jobs in which they are not happy, rather than struggle to find something new.
To us, this screams out for online recruitment agencies – and offline – to highlight the ease with which it is possible to find a new, fulfilling position and get more candidates into a job they love.
How can we help?
Looking for a new job needn’t be as scary as most believe it to be – with so many new ways of getting exposure, from LinkedIn to MeVies, there is no reason to stay so unhappy. For some, it may be a case of not knowing what you really want to do as a career – many struggle to find their vocation well into their adult years. Working in a job that does not stimulate you, both mentally and emotionally, does not benefit you nor your company though as your productivity is likely to be lower. Taking the time to look more deeply into why you are unhappy and what job role can give you what you really need is a good start in changing the way you look at employment.
Why not take the BBC’s careers quiz to see exactly what type of worker you are and what types of work may suit your personality? From artistic to social and from enterprising to investigative, the quiz helps to identify what kind of employment you may be most satisfied in, according to John Holland’s model of vocational choice, and may open your mind to careers you may not have previously considered.
Jamie Mistlin find me on Google+.
Castle Hill House