Why 68% of women want to change careers post-Covid
(+ how to find your big 'why')
Did the pandemic affect how you felt about your career? Well it turns out that three years on from the Covid pandemic, the profound effect it had on women’s careers is still being felt.
A global survey by Deloitte1 found that there was a ‘burnout epidemic’ amongst working women, with 53% of respondents reporting higher levels of stress and a huge drop in job satisfaction.
Another global survey also found that 68% of employed women worldwide said the pandemic had made them rethink their career paths and 48% of all women were planning to change jobs or start working in the following six months2. The top three reasons given were 1) pay 2) desire to find a career with purpose and 3) seeking better work/life balance.
However, on top of the after-effects of the pandemic, wider society in the UK is simply not set up to support women on their career journeys. There’s a lack of flexible working (only 3% of advertised jobs mentioned flexible working in 20213), a low uptake of shared parental leave (currently only 3-4% of couples4), and as we all know too well, the second most expensive childcare system in the world (OECD)5.
It's not surprising that many of us are feeling stressed, exhausted, unconfident and stuck.
However, I do believe there is another way. One which would have a huge impact on our work and our families. If we were finally given the right tools to recognise and use our gifts, strengths and talents (both at work and at home) then positive ripple effects on wider society would be enormous. Think about this:
When we are happy in our work, we are 20% more productive and 10x less likely to take time off sick6
If a company employs more female executives, it’s also on track to enjoy 10x higher profit margins7
62% of women are now prioritising work life balance over salary when weighing up job opportunities8
Finding our gifts also makes us more entrepreneurial. The number of women who set up their own businesses doubled between 2002 and 2020
This is why it is really important to do work that you love. Not just because it’s a nice perk that some people get to enjoy and others don’t. It really matters because your impact on the world matters. And it matters because that’s the overall direction that society is going in. Your children want to do meaningful work too:
Over 80% of US graduates wanted to find purpose in their work9
83% of millennials consider work-life balance to be the most important factor when evaluating a potential job10
So today’s coaching exercise is all about finding your big ‘why’ when making a career change. If you’re seriously considering it, then not only do you need to understand the deeper reasons for yourself, but if you go for job interview in a new sector or role, the interviewers will very likely ask you why you wanted to make a switch. So it’s a really good idea to figure out your ‘why’ early on and be able to articulate it clearly. Here are some tips:
*Please note coaching exercises are now for paid subscribers only
#CareerInspo Corner ☕ 📚 🎧
This is where I share any useful articles, books and general inspiration which may help you along your midlife career journey…
Fascinating article about why midlife women are walking out at the peak of their careers, and what leaders should do about it 🚶♀️
Seeing as we’re talking about finding your ‘why’ today, make sure you check out this classic TED talk from Simon Sinek 💡
Ever been told you’re ‘too emotional’ at work? Check out this post about how to turn your ‘soft skills’ into career superpowers ❤️
I love a ‘how I did it’ career change story and caught this one recently on the Mel Robbins podcast about a stay at home mum with ‘no experience’ who founded the $225m business Drybar. Inspiring 💇
Hope you enjoyed this newsletter, and always do let me know in the comments if there’s anything particular you’re liking or if there are any careers questions you’d like answering.
Speak soon!
Juliette xx
https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/burnout-survey.html
https://plc.pearson.com/en-GB/news/pearson-global-learner-survey-90-worlds-women-plan-taking-action-alter-career-path
Timewise Flexible Jobs Index 2021
https://maternityaction.org.uk/2021/02/honey-i-shrunk-the-shared-parental-leave-take-up-figures/
https://pregnantthenscrewed.com/the-high-cost-of-childcare-in-the-uk-and-why-it-matters/
University of Warwick study 2022
https://wearethecity.com/companies-with-more-female-executives-are-more-profitable/
https://www.businessleader.co.uk/new-research-finds-women-prioritise-work-life-balance-over-salary/
Gallup Alumni Survey 2019
https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/flexjobs-survey-finds-employees-want-remote-work-post-pandemic/