Two-thirds felt pressured into choosing job path
Almost three-quarters (72 per cent) of Canadian workers who see a career counsellor or coach wish they had chosen a different career.
And 67 per cent wish they weren’t pressured into choosing a career they didn’t want to pursue, according to the survey by CERIC, an organization working to advance education and research in career counselling and career development.
Another 61 per cent wish they hadn’t played it safe and let fear prevent them from taking a different career direction, while 59 per cent wish they hadn’t narrowed their options so soon and that they had been able to explore other careers, found the survey of 1,350 professionals.
The findings point to the need for Canadians to have better career development skills, starting at a young age and continuing throughout their lives, says John Horn, chair of the board of CERIC.
“We all want to have work that makes us spring out of bed in the morning – that feeds our souls and allows us to create the life we want for ourselves and our families.”
Most Canadians (85 per cent) don’t know that career guidance is available beyond high school, and they think that careers are linear, moving from a post-secondary degree to a job in the field of choice (82 per cent). Nearly eight in 10 (79 per cent) believe that choosing a career means deciding what to do the rest of your life while 51 per cent think if they only follow their passion, they will land their dream job.
More than seven in 10 (72 per cent) also wish they had better understood themselves and chosen a career that is aligned with their values, found CERIC.
Among those who are contemplating their next career step, 49 per cent are concerned about their ability to find decent-paying work while 45 per cent are uncertain of their strengths and interests and are anxious about making the right decision.
Canadian entrepreneurs are looking to invest more in hiring new talent and in training employees in the first quarter of 2020, according to a report from the Business Development Bank of Canada.
