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This article is written by Pavitra Raja. Pavitra manages strategic partnerships with Fortune 500 companies at the World Economic Forum.

  • The problem: The ‘Great Regret’ is the latest workplace trend to sweep the internet, with the majority of professionals who quit their jobs last year wishing they could get a do-over.

  • Why it matters: 50 million people left their jobs in 2022 as part of the ‘Great Resignation’. However, 8 out of 10 professionals who left their jobs regret their decision.

  • The solution: Don’t give into FOMO, ask yourself these four questions before making a move.

If you feel stuck in a job you despise, it’s natural to have a desire to get out. However, the ‘Great Regret’ is a new reality for many, with the majority of professionals who quit their jobs last year wishing they could get a do-over.

If you are unable to come up with one single way you are learning, growing, adding value or having fun in your role, it is time for a change.

Before hopping the fence to “greener pastures” there are four questions to ask yourself. Making a career change should be a calculated, planned decision, and never an act of desperation.

  1. How am I learning, growing, adding value and having fun in my current role?

    Cheryl Dorsey, President of Echoing Green, has a formula she applies to her life, “head + heart = hustle”. I implemented her formula and listed concrete ways I was learning, growing and adding value to myself and others in my current role, and assessed if that was enough for me. If you are unable to come up with one single way you are learning, growing, adding value or having fun in your role, it is time for a change.

  2. What is the next step in my career and what do I need to do to get there?

    Is your next step to learn something new? Manage a team? Make more money?

    I used Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle theory when answering this question:

    Step one: the first question to answer is “why you want this”. The “why” relates to your purpose. When your “why” is kept at the forefront of all that you do, making decisions becomes a lot easier.

    Step two: Once you are clear on your why, you can move to your “how”. The “how” relates to the process. The specific actions taken to realise your why.

    Step three: Once you have a list of “how”, you can move on to your “what”. The “what” actualises your “why”, the proof. Is one of your “what”s working in a new role?

  3. Does the role align with my value system?

    I have gone from digital marketing to public policy to strategic partnerships. Some may find this erratic, but every role has aligned with my value system. There are three areas of your value system you may want to consider:

    • Intrinsic values: These are related to the intangibles of the career. These are the values that motivate you and help you feel fulfilled.

    • Extrinsic values: relate to the tangible rewards derived from your career and your work environment. Some examples of extrinsic values are pay, working as part of a team and providing influence.

    • Lifestyle values: What you do for a career and where you work produces a certain type of lifestyle. The type of lifestyle you desire can help complete the picture of what you value.

    Ask yourself exploratory questions like in the point above to figure out your core values. You can also enlist the help of a career coach.

  4. Will the new role add to my identity capital?

    In her book ‘The Defining Decade’, Dr Meg Jay introduced the term ‘identity capital’, defined as the set of skills, relationships and professional resources we build up over our lives. Jay’s advice is to take the job with the most corresponding ‘career capital’: capital which allows you to build the most relationships, learn the most, and grow the most, but not necessarily make the most money.

    Don’t give in to FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Ask yourself exploratory questions, focus on your values, and build on your identity capital. Whatever you decide, give yourself permission to be happy with your decision. Bonne chance!

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