According to a new survey of over 1,000 professionals, uncertainty about how to initiate a career change deters workers interested in pursuing new opportunities nearly as much as financial concerns.
The survey, conducted by telecommuting and flexible job search service, FlexJobs, found that the top three factors holding people back from changing careers were money/cost considerations (52%), not being sure where to begin (45%) and education or training for a new career (45%).
To help guide job seekers who are interested in exploring career change options, FlexJobs has launched 100 Days on Jobs for Career Changers to provide 100 consecutive days of free career advice, resources, and webinars. Articles are posted to FlexJobs’ Career Changers blog section and will cover career change in its various forms, such as changing industries, changing jobs, and even changing flexible work options.
"While financial concerns can create an obstacle to embarking on a career change, an uncertainty of where or how to start the process also proves to be a major stumbling block for many,” says Sara Sutton Fell, founder and CEO of FlexJobs. "The campaign’s objective is to equip job seekers not only with practical advice and resources from our team and other experts, but also provide encouragement so they have the confidence they need to successfully transition.”
Work flexibility is also a significant factor for career changer. 72 percent of respondents say they would definitely change careers to find better work flexibility. The survey also found that work-life balance (59 percent) was the top reason for seeking career change, followed by a desire for more meaningful work (47 percent), stress from their current career (40 percent), and money or cost savings (37 percent).
76 percent of respondents predicted changing careers would have a positive impact on their personal relationships and 84 percent thought changing careers would allow them to be healthier/take better care of themselves. Among other findings, 100 percent telecommuting remains the most popular choice for flexible work (46 percent), with flexible schedules a second preference (20 percent). The full results of the survey can be viewed on the FlexJobs’ blog:
http://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/like-career-changers-survey-results/.
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