Australians are quitting their jobs in search of a career change, and experts say now is the perfect time to take the leap.
More than 1.3 million Australians changed their jobs in the 12 months leading up to February 2023.
The number of people switching careers has contributed to the highest rate of job movements since 2012, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Previously a corporate banker, Andy Evart, 28, quit his job to pursue his love of animals and is now the proud owner of a Jim’s Dog Wash franchise.
“I think it just wasn’t for me. I’ve always been an animal lover … it took me a while to figure that out,” Evarts said.
“I choose the jobs I want to do, so yeah, I love it.”
Craig Maher also realised he needed a career change when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, ending his 30-year career in insurance.
He began pursuing his passion for drawing portraits of pets, before starting to work as a tram driver for some extra cash.
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“I’m the happiest I have ever been, [I’m] living my dream,” Maher said.
Experts say the major shift in careers was caused by COVID-19.
”COVID really gave us permission to rethink what we do, how we work and even where we work,” career coach Kate Richardson said.
“I think a lot of people are considering what’s really important to them in their career and are thinking about other options.”
Those looking to switch jobs are being advised to do so soon, as an impending economic downturn could result in businesses tightening their budgets.
“We’ve seen an extremely strong job market but there are signs that the market is starting to turn,” Richardson said.
“Companies are under pressure, there are hiring freezes in place, we’ve seen some redundancies in key sectors, and at the same time we are still short of workers.”
