Unfulfilled by your career? Here’s what to do

The pandemic changed how a large portion of the workforce views their careers, according to new data from LinkedIn. Most of those people say their views got worse.

A survey of more than 2,000 adults in the U.S. found that 47% said the coronavirus pandemic changed how they feel about their careers. Nearly three-quarters — 73% — of those who said they viewed their careers differently due to the pandemic said they felt less fulfilled in their current jobs.

More than half of all respondents — 51% — said they’ve thought about changing jobs within the last year. More than a third — 35% — said they’ve already changed jobs since the start of the pandemic.

The results of the survey, which was conducted by Censuswide for LinkedIn, likely don’t come as a surprise to you if you’ve been following any news about the labor market over the past several months. 

The reasons behind these results will likely resonate with some of your own personal experiences, too. For example, nearly a third of all respondents say they don’t make enough money to cover their living expenses. In fact, many said the money was a key motivation to look for work elsewhere.

The results made me want to reach out to LinkedIn members to learn their suggestions for making a change when a person reaches a low point in their job or career.

I can’t feature all of the responses in the newsletter, but you can check them all out by clicking here.

• “Feeling stuck or unfulfilled is often due to unmet (or unspoken) expectations,” wrote Chelsea Jay, who is a career coach. “Being honest about where you expected to be, what truly makes you happy, and what type of life you want to live is the start to moving forward. I encourage professionals to be honest with themselves and block out outside opinions and internal fears.”
• “I always have people write down 5 things they love about their jobs and 5 things they hate about it,” wrote Tejal Wagadia, who is a recruiter. “If they struggle with coming about 5 things in the love category, I tell them to write down 5 job duties they'd love to be doing. If they struggle with writing 5 things they hate about their jobs then they are probably burnt out and I recommend taking a mini-vacation to find themselves.”
• “Before switching to a new career or leaving their job, they better ask themselves where that feeling comes from and work on the causes,” wrote Luisa Meneghetti, who works as a consultant. “From my experience with clients, most of the times it can be solved by making adjustments or improving the conditions of their current employment rather than changing job, company or career path altogether. Turning page and making a fresh start is alluring but if the real causes of that feeling are left unexplored or are misunderstood, sooner or later they will transfer to the new job, company or career anyways.”
• “Self-reflect and get help from a therapist if in need,” wrote Sweta Regmi, who is a career consultant. “No job should cost you mental health. Is it you or a wrong job, wrong place, wrong boss? Wrong environment? Mine was a wrong job and a dead-end.”
• “Most importantly, know that your career is meant to evolve as you do,” wrote Tiffany Uman, who is a career strategy coach. “Don’t put so much pressure on ‘what should I do with my life?’, but rather ‘what should I do next that’s aligned with my driving motivators?’. It’s a lot more liberating taking it in stages like this, especially when re-evaluating what you truly want.”
• “I like Nii Ato Bentsi-Enchill, MA, Ed.M’s idea to keep a job journal,” wrote Erica Reckamp, who is an executive resume writer and job search strategist. “This can help you pinpoint if the issues are internal or external, temporary or long-standing. Then you can more accurately diagnose if you would benefit from a break, coach, counselor, or a change of direction.”
• “Think about what makes you happy,” wrote Ed Cassas, who works in talent acquisition. “What company, what culture, what type of leadership mentality, what type of vibe and day to day? What are your real strengths when your butt is in the seat? If your tactical, find a tactical career. If you’re strategic, then you get the drift. Why are you settling for your own Status Quo? Live a great work-life the way you live and hopefully love your personal life!”

What’s your advice for people feeling unfulfilled in their careers? Join the conversation.

▶ Want even more #GetHired?

I go live almost every Friday at 12:00 p.m. ET from the LinkedIn News page to discuss important issues affecting job seekers and to answer your questions about looking for work. I recently spoke with Jerry Lee, who is the co-founder and COO of Wonsulting, about different approaches job seekers can take to their next employer. You can watch the episode by clicking the image below or by clicking here.

I won’t be going live on Friday, Oct. 29, due to a LinkedIn company holiday, but I’ll be back the following week — Nov. 5!

▶ The follow-up

Becoming an expert in a specific topic is one way to increase your marketability in the job market. While that may seem like a daunting task, it may not be as difficult to become an expert as you may think. BJ Fogg, author of The New York Times bestseller "Tiny Habits,” explained in the last #GetHired that a person can become an expert with an investment of 40 to 60 hours. He suggests picking a very narrow topic. Then you need to learn everything about the topic. You should then add your own contributions to the field. Then, you should share what you know with the world (on social media and elsewhere). Lastly, you should listen to feedback from your audience. Here’s what people are saying about the advice.

▶ A lesson learned:

Trust was always a huge factor in my career. As a journalist, my entire livelihood could be destroyed if people thought I wasn’t trustworthy. I’ve learned firsthand that being trustworthy is something you constantly need to keep in mind when engaging with others. This LinkedIn Learning course discusses the ins and outs of being trustworthy. You can watch it below or by clicking here.

▶ Up next:

Seasonal hiring is underway. In the next edition of #GetHired, we’ll take a look at some advice for people who are looking at seasonal work and what they can do to make those roles benefit their careers.