Job Market Trends to Watch: How Ready Are You to Take the Next Step in Your Career?

Myriad factors have created an opportunity, if not necessity, for employees to evaluate and assert what they want, what they need, and what they want to achieve when it comes to work.

The pandemic, Great Resignation or Great Re-evaluation, and a widespread prioritization of well-being and purpose have brought many to ask the big questions when it comes to where they work, how they work, and more importantly, why.

How can I feel more fulfilled in my role? Is there an opportunity for me to do something different? Take on new challenges? Does my boss support my career aspirations? What kind of work culture is right for me?

The Great Re-Evaluation

Considering the waves of resignations more carefully, what is emerging is the concept of a Great Re-Evaluation.

Whether you have been let go, are considering leaving a position, or are looking for ways to feel more engaged in your current company or more fulfilled in your role, take time to evaluate what it is you want before jumping ship to find yourself in the same situation at a different company, regretting a hasty decision.

As you get ready for the next stage of your career journey, have a candid conversation with yourself—about what’s important to you, what you like to do and what you’re good at, and how exactly you’ll take control of your career. Even if you’re just at the very beginning of “what’s next,” assessing where you are, what new skills you may need, and where you want to go will move you that much closer to finding a new job, landing a promotion, starting a lucrative side hustle, or reinventing yourself altogether.

Focus on Opportunities Right for You

There’s no denying that today’s professional landscape looks very different than previous years. A global pandemic, a more volatile economy, and sociocultural forces have all converged to create complexity and uncertainty. Now we face a new adjustment: the return to the office and the reality of hybrid office models. But don’t let this potentially bumpy transition to the “new normal” deter you from making your next play.

The opportunities are there. The Great Resignation created a power shift in the employee/employer dynamic. Job seekers and employers have upped their leverage in terms of negotiating terms and salaries that they identify as key to achieving higher levels of job satisfaction, greater work/life balance, and overall career fulfillment. Employers understand the need to invest more in training and offer more flexibility to keep the talent they value.

That’s the good news: Now is the time to be heard, but first, you need a plan.

Before you make your next career move, we invite you to check out our newest blog series that discusses our insights into major workplace and hiring trends. You’ll find that they just might positively impact your career path and help you take ownership of it, making it an even more rewarding experience.

Check out the next article in the series. And if you’d like more insight into how to support your next career move, download our 2022 Job Market Trends to Watch report now.