Saying sayonara to a boring dead-end job is one thing, but giving up a well paid role is something else. Yet that’s exactly what millennials are doing in droves, after getting burn out the never-ending grind.
To be successful in your career these days it seems like you have to really subscribe to the ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality, and more and more millennials are realising that driving themselves into the ground for the sake of landing the title of CEO by 30 isn’t worth it. The traditional concept of employment that past generations have accepted is being challenged by millennials, according to a global 2018 Millennial Survey by Deloitte.
It’s even higher for Gen Z, where 61% say they’ll move on after two years in their job. Long gone are the days where people stayed in the same job for a decade – millennials are okay with change and taking career breaks. Everyone has different reasons for quitting, but many say they’ve lost faith in business. The data suggests that a lot of businesses aren’t in sync with millennial priorities who want the freedom to enjoy their 20s while they can. In an old-school workplace with no flexibility around hours and working arrangements, it’s easy to see why some choose to give it up and follow their own path, despite their pay packet.
Managing partner of a HR firm, Cat Graham, tells New York Post that in her 20 years of experience, this is a new one: “Twenty years ago I never would have seen this. The job market is so hot right now — unemployment is at a record low, and the war for talent is hotter than ever. There are more jobs than there are qualified candidates”. But she warns that while the money and jobs might be flowing now, things can change, “While it’s smart to stretch yourself and your experiences, it’s not smart to quit a job without a plan. The economy will change in six months, and nothing is a guarantee.”
There’s no right or wrong choice when it comes to choosing a career or travel. The perfect balance would be to have both, and if you can work hard and save for a couple years and then take 6 months off to see the world, is that really so bad?
