Half of us are in the wrong job, reveals new research

More than half of working Brits aren’t sure they are in the right career, according to a new report.

The study of 2,000 employees also revealed that four out of ten plan to change careers within the next two years as a result, with other findings including:

• One third of Brits in employment said they don’t enjoy their current line of work.
• Almost half (47 per cent) admitted they don’t find their careers fulfilling.
• A quarter of Brits are keen to switch careers in order to learn a new skill, with one third hankering for a better work-life balance.
• More than one fifth said they yearned for a career with more flexibility.

The research was commissioned by First Direct bank to mark the launch of a new current account switching incentive, which allows new customers to choose from online self-development courses, Expedia vouchers or various electronic gadgets, including a Fitbit Charge 2 or Bose Soundsport wireless headphones.

Joe Gordon, head of First Direct, said: “It’s easy to associate career switching with the early years of your working life, but our research found the desire to do something completely different spans every age and generation.

“Even 42 per cent of the over-45s plan to change careers in the next two years.

“Money isn’t the driving factor behind a career switch. People are keen to learn new skills, or to do something they find more personally satisfying.

“Almost one in five are considering teaching, nursing or charity work as an alternative career.”

Overall, starting up a business or working for yourself is the top choice for British workers (18 per cent). The under-25s are the keenest to run their own business, with one in five (21 per cent) planning a start-up.

However, a quarter of Brits say they can’t afford to switch careers and a fifth think they are too old to start over.

Of the one in four workers who have already made a career switch, 15 per cent started their own business, 12 per cent changed to a career working with children – such as teaching – and one in ten began a career in healthcare.