Whether it’s from friends, family, or just what you’re seeing on your Instagram feed, pressure on your career choices are very much real.

Your dream job could be anything you want but sometimes societal pressure can lead to some second-guessing – am I doing the right thing? Is this what I really want in life?

According to the Office for National Statistics, in the 2021 Census, across England and Wales, the broad industries with the largest employment rates were: 

• Wholesale, retail, and motor trade (4.2 million)
• Human health and social work activities (4.1 million)
• Education (2.7 million)
• Construction (2.4 million)
• Manufacturing (2.0 million)

The temptation to follow the crowd can be strong but is that really the pathway that you want? Yes, of course you can work in retail or manufacturing if that’s what you really want, but what if it isn’t?

As stated by the BBC, in 2021, 64.6% of retail workers, 86.3% of accommodation and food workers, and just under 40% of manufacturing workers quit their jobs.

Indeed, have put unhappiness at work down to several different things:

• Your job is boring
• The work isn’t challenging enough
• You’re working long hours
• Your values no longer align with your employer’s
• You’re experiencing high levels of stress
• It’s difficult to maintain a work/life balance
• The job doesn’t provide you enough opportunities
• You’re unsure about your performance

Experiencing these factors could just be an indicator that your job might not be what you really want.