Dream Job or Dead End: Are Workers Questioning Their Career Choices?

Key takeaways:

• Given the opportunity to start over, 26% would choose an entirely different career path, with sales, customer service (23%), and manual labor (16%) the industries with the highest levels of regret.

• Many people start doubting their career choices early, with 26% questioning whether they made the right choice before reaching age 25.

• Some 29% of people cite stress and burnout as the main reason for their career regret, while 26% blame low wages.

• Artificial intelligence is fueling anxiety, with the technology causing 28% to doubt their career choice.

• Yet, despite their regret, many avoid changing paths, with money the main barrier. Some 82% say they would retrain if money were no issue.

We’re working through an age of rapid change. Technology is reshaping the job market, wages aren’t keeping up with rising living costs, and many once-stable jobs no longer feel secure.

With so much uncertainty, self-doubt starts to creep in, and many question whether they’ve made the right career choices. 

Headway, the daily growth app, surveyed 2,000 people on how they feel about their current role, the causes of their career anxiety, and what’s stopping them from handing in their notice and trying a different path.

Resume of regrets: Are workers second-guessing their careers?

Most of us were essentially kids when we chose our careers – heading to college and racking up large debts in the process. However, for many, age and experience bring regret, with 45% admit they would do things differently if given the chance to start over, and 26% wishing they could head in a completely different direction.

Unfortunately, not every professional journey leads to a top job. While 57% say things went as expected and 17% exceeded their expectations, 26% admit their hard work hasn’t paid off in the way they hoped.

Sales can pay big, but often only if you hit targets, and that comes with serious stress. Is it worth it? Well, 23% say they would choose a different path if they could start over, with career regret higher than in any other industry.

However, regret isn’t limited to sales: 16% of manual laborers, 13% in finance, hospitality, and retail, and 12% of educators and public sector workers feel the same dread every Monday morning.

Early career anxiety: From excited grad to overwhelmed employee

Most workers don’t outright regret their career, but second-guessing is part of pretty much any job: 78% admit they have doubts over the choices they’ve made.

Those doubts don’t wait decades to appear or only affect those who don’t secure senior titles. For many, career anxiety starts soon after they enter the workforce – 26% doubt their path before reaching the age of 25, and 49% of under-30s question whether they're on the wrong ladder.

The upside of early-career anxiety and regret? It’s far easier to change course when you’re still on starter wages and haven’t climbed too far.

Many do switch successfully after leaving education, with only 41% of people working in a field closely related to their degree.

Mind and money: The leading causes of career regret

We all expect reward for our hard work, but many careers fall short financially. Some 65% say their wages aren’t in line with early-career expectations, with 21% underwhelmed by their earnings and 44% only somewhat happy come payday.

Gas prices are soaring, bills keep piling up, and you practically need a mortgage to fill the fridge these days. Rising living costs (and largely stagnant wages) have left 60% of workers feeling underpaid for the time and effort they give.

Money matters, but it isn’t the main driver of career regret. That honor goes to stress and burnout, which makes 29% of workers contemplate quitting.

Trailing stress is pay and potential – with 26% frustrated by low wages, and 16% put off by limited growth opportunities.

When deciding your future, what matters most: a job that rewards you financially, or one that rewards you personally? 

The workforce can't agree – 49% would accept a high-stress job if it pays well, while 51% would prefer a role they enjoy even if the compensation is low.

AI-nxiety: Are algorithms amplifying our career doubts?

AI is rapidly reshaping the job market, with many roles – from customer service to data entry – already disappearing. As models get smarter and grow their skill sets, 56% of workers fear Claude and co. could come for their job next, with 17% extremely worried about their job security.

With the scale and pace of change far greater than many expected, AI is prompting widespread doubt among much of the workforce, with 28% admitting its rise has made them question whether they made the right career choice.

AI is shaking up the job market, but disruption can open new doors – especially for those who act early. Take data entry clerks. Their familiarity with structured data would make them ideal AI trainers. And copywriters, with their way with words, have the skills to transition into prompt engineering roles. 

AI won’t leave us all unemployed, and there will be opportunities out there – yet only 22% have taken steps to develop their skills and protect their careers.

Career crossroads: What stops us from switching paths?

Some 23% of workers fear it’s too late for them to start over, 16% worry they won’t succeed in a new field, and 9% struggle with self-doubt. However, by far the biggest barrier to changing careers is the risk of financial instability (43%).

With bills to cover and lifestyles to maintain, returning to school or starting over on an entry-level salary just won’t make ends meet.

If money were no object? Some 82% of workers would make a fresh start.

But changing paths doesn’t have to mean quitting overnight or spending thousands on a new degree. Even small steps – like daily doses of microlearning – can build all the skills you need to transition into a different field. 

If work fills you with dread and regret, don’t spend your life stuck in the wrong role. Learn, grow, and once you’re ready, make your move.