Ancillary #4 — The Great Resignation

After doing a bit of research, I think the pandemic has greatly affected the ways in which people view going back to work or the careers they have decided to pursue. While there has been a trend of people questioning or re-thinking their career paths, the pandemic is really what has kickstarted a giant trend of people quitting their jobs and seeking other ventures. Whether it’s been quitting their jobs or being laid off, more and more people have found it in their best interest to seek a career they find more fulfilling.

What I found most convincing in my research was the actual data and interviews that have been collected from people. In particular, I found the data collected with regards to how much Americans work and for how little particularly relevant. According to The Guardian, on average Americans work “47 hours a week, with more than 18% working over 60 hours a week.” Additionally, Americans working full-time on minimum wage “cannot afford an apartment in any state in the US without taking on another job.” What I didn’t find so convincing is that the driving force behind seeking new career opportunities has less to do with “soul searching” and more to do with finding something that will pay better in less time. The idea that people are suddenly deciding to change career paths because “they want to “follow a passion or make a difference and are less willing to pay their dues in a job they feel…doesn’t offer them growth or challenge” seems more like the up and coming generations are lazier and don’t want to put the work in to receive the benefits and are using the pandemic as an excuse to take short cuts.

I think that in both articles, the authors are right to see the pandemic as the kick start to thousands of people having a restart to their professional lives, but I think they’re wrong in believing it’s purely due to wanting more life fulfillment and more so to do with not wanting to get up early in the morning or “putting in the work” on a corporate ladder. In order to move forward, I think I need to find more on the real reasons why people are doing what they’re doing besides realizing life is short.