9 out of 10 Canadians who have made a career change say they’re happier.
Job site Indeed Canada polled 1,023 randomly selected full-time workers from a variety of industries and education levels across the country and found that 38% had made a complete career change at some point.
Another 35% said they were either currently considering switching careers or have considered doing so.
Of those respondents who had made such a change, 87% said they were happier since they did so.
The Indeed research found that better pay was the most common reason respondents changed careers, with 63% citing it as their main motivation. But 57% of those who switched said they did so because they wanted more opportunity for personal growth.
Forty seven percent said they enroled in education and training programs to help their career transformation.
Jodi Kasten, managing director for Indeed Canada, noted that the tight labor market means people are more likely to be able to execute career changes if they’re unhappy with their current work.
The survey found that 59% of those who change careers or are considering a change say personal dissatisfaction in their current role is a driving factor.
But the research shows that few people make a career change on a whim. Sixty two percent of those who switched made their plans well in advance, spending an average of 11 months thinking about a move, according to the survey.
