If you’ve been feeling down at your desk, you’re not alone. Blue Monday is reportedly the most depressing day of the year, and despite the fact that this was invented by a travel agency, it seems to resonate with a lot of people. But what if this isn’t just the Blue Monday blues? It might be time to quit your job.
The Great Resignation
Quitting your job might sound a little extreme, but over the course of the pandemic so many people quit their jobs it was dubbed, ‘The Great Resignation’. According to the BBC, the combination of poor work-life balance, a lack of support during the pandemic, and a new appreciation for their time, lead to nearly four million Americans quitting their jobs last April.
And this isn’t just happening in the US. In the UK, a survey by Microsoft revealed that 41% of workers were considering quitting or changing their jobs in 2021. The way that workers were treated by their employers by the pandemic has been a huge contributing factor, with many expected to risk their health, whilst working longer hours and alongside a reduced team.
What does this mean for job opportunities?
With workers demanding more from their employers, employers have had to make their opportunities far more appealing. For those looking for work in retail and customer service, jobs on the market are likely to have better starting wages, as well as more support and benefits for employees, with more opportunities for progression.
It’s not just retail where employers are desperate for new hires. According to Prospects, ‘The top four shortages in the North East include nurses, medical practitioners, human resources and industrial relations officers and programmers and software development professionals. The region also struggles to recruit graphic designers.’
If you're looking for a new opportunity, and you work or are ready to retrain in one of these industries, you might find that it's a different experience to past job searches. Thanks to the Great Resignation, employers are increasingly looking at how they can entice candidates, which makes it the perfect time to quit a job that’s leaving you feeling sad.
Why you should consider a career in IT
If you are looking for a career change, you should think about IT. Over the course of the pandemic, with everyone moving to work from home, support engineers and web developers were in high demand. This hasn’t changed a year on from our first lockdown; with cyber security, data analytics, technical development and software development reportedly being the most sought after skills.
The jobs are ever-changing and incredibly rewarding; whether you like working with clients, designing something great, or problem solving, there’s a place for you in IT. It’s also a great time to retrain; there’s a huge amount of bursaries, grants and loans available, as well as online training. If you’re looking for a career change, tech should be at the top of your list.
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