The pandemic has caused many professionals to rethink their careers and lives, leading to the largest increase in people quitting their jobs on record, now coined the “Great Resignation.” The advent of more flexible working arrangements combined with people’s newfound desire to make space for other priorities like health, family, and well-being have driven them to seek out jobs that enable them to serve these priorities and do more fulfilling work.

But finding a better job isn’t as simple as just writing a better résumé, networking more effectively, or interviewing well. It involves managing these five inevitable emotions that arise whenever you’re walking away from a stable job into the unknown.

SADNESS

As someone who’s worked with many career changers over the past decade, I’ve noticed people who voluntarily leave their roles behind fall into one of three categories: those who want to either escape from jobs they don’t want, pursue jobs they do want, or both. The first situation is what most often triggers someone’s initial desire to change career paths.

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