How Will the Big Quit Affect Your Career Plans?

There's a phenomenon sweeping the United States. It's called the "Big Quit," or the "Great Resignation," and it's affecting both employers and employees. People are abandoning their pre-pandemic career plans and choosing new career paths. You might be one of those ready for a change that will affect your career plans.

The pandemic changed many people's perspectives when it came to their jobs. The shutdown gave employees time to evaluate their career paths, and in many cases, life accommodating work became unacceptable.

Wages became secondary in the hopes of a better lifestyle. So, when employees were called back to the workplace, things changed. This resulted in the Big Quit. The first effect of the new view on careers was felt in April 2021 when 4.0 million employees in the U.S. quit their jobs. That's 2.7 percent of the workforce.

August 2021 didn't fare much better with a record breaking 4.9 million resignations, or 2.9 percent of U.S. workers. In other words, the trend seems to be growing.

Most of these resignations took place in certain industries:

• food service
• accommodation
• wholesale trade
• state and local government education

The reasons for the Big Quit are varied by industry, but it all comes down to people wanting a better way of life. If you're like many others, you may have decided that you want to focus less on work and more on family and leisure.

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If you were in a managerial position pre-pandemic, perhaps you felt stressed and burned out. The pandemic shutdown might have provided a chance for you to take a breath and reset your priorities.

Maybe you've decided that you'd be happier with a non-management job. You'd prefer to work remotely and have more control over both your career and personal life.

One result of the Big Quit is entrepreneurship. New businesses are on the rise. In addition, working remotely gave many individuals a taste of independence that working in an office lacked. Coupled with the new "coronavirus economy," many people quit their jobs to start online businesses.

People nervous about doing face-to-face shopping created the coronavirus economy. This has given many individuals the opportunity to start online retail businesses.

If you've always thought about running your own business, this might be the perfect time to give it a try.

Sometimes you need a break. Some jobs will let you take a sabbatical, but that's not an option for most people. A lot of Big Quit participants are putting their careers on hold while they figure out what they want. Before leaping into something new, remember to evaluate both your career and life goals.

The pandemic also showed many people how vulnerable their careers were. So changing gears completely is an option. You could quit your job and go back to school, or go to school part time or online to train for a complete career change.

Take some time to consider your next move.

The shift in priorities brought about by the Big Quit, also resulted in people questioning where they lived. Maybe finding the place to live your best life has become more important to you. Or maybe the pandemic taught you that living near family is what you really want.

Leaving a job to make a fresh start in a new location might interrupt your career path, but living in a more palatable location can definitely pay off when it comes to your overall happiness.

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