Research suggests many 18–40-year-olds have re-evaluated what they want from their careers as a result of the pandemic

For many young people a ‘dream job’ may have been one they were passionate about and loved doing. One that saw them move to the big city, spend their working days in a fancy office and embrace a thriving afterwork social scene. That was until the pandemic hit. Now, according to new research* by flatshare site SpareRoom, things have begun to shift in the minds of 18-40 year olds, with nearly two thirds saying their attitudes towards work (63%) have changed over the past year – nearly a quarter (22%) of these said ‘love for the job’ is now outweighed by more practical considerations, specifically job security.

According to SpareRoom’s research, conducted with over 2,000 18-40 year old adults, 86% now see a pandemic-proof career as key going forward and 61% see a good work-life balance as more important after living in a pandemic for the last year.

When it comes to current career ambitions, almost half (44%) want a career that makes them happy and fulfilled, while over a third (36%) want their job to have long-term security.

The top 10 career ambitions for 18-40 year olds now are:

1. To feel so happy and fulfilled in a job that they look forward to work (44%)

2. To have long-term job security (36%)

3. To earn an amount of money that they deem successful (35%)

4. To make a positive impact on the world through their work (32%)

5. To be able to work flexibly from home (26%)

6. To work fewer days and have a greater work-life balance (24%)

7. To be their own boss/run their own company (20%)

8. To get promoted to the top within their current industry (19%)

9. To win an award or be recognised for their work (16%)

10. To start their own business (15%)

60% of 18-40 year olds also said the features they look for in a job have changed over the past year – the location of work (24%), regular social events (23%) and workplace look & feel (sofas, kitchen, games area, bar, fun looking space etc) (23%) are less important in a post-pandemic world.

The research by SpareRoom suggests a significant proportion of respondents are already working on making their new career ambitions a reality, with a quarter (25%) undertaking training courses, 23% starting a new job, 21% starting a side hustle and 16% returning to education.