Defying gravity: Despite work woes, we feel more optimistic about our career outlook
With everything from the battle over RTO to office political tension, we’ve become more accustomed to stories about how unhappy people are at work than about any professional optimism.
Yet two-thirds of us are feeling more positive about our careers than we did just a few years ago, according to the latest research.
In a survey of more than 1,500 workers globally by career platform Kickresume, about 7 in 10 report a more positive outlook about their professional future compared to recent years. The findings reveal that excitement (39%), hope (38%) and optimism (38%) are the predominant emotions nowadays that workers associate with their career prospects.
“While uncertainty and anxiety haven’t disappeared completely, they’ve taken a back seat to more positive feelings,” said Peter Duris, co-founder and CEO of Kickresume. “Despite global challenges from wars to economic stagnation, people are feeling pretty good about their professional future, and that’s something worth celebrating.”
There is a generational divide, with younger workers generally more hopeful about their future than their older counterparts.
“Younger people tend to expect more exciting and promising things on the horizon because they are in the honeymoon phase of their careers,” said Katina Sawyer, professor of management at the University of Arizona and co-founder of workplace consultancy Workr Beeing. “They also haven’t worked long enough to really burn out yet.”
The optimism among younger workers also appears closely tied to their desire for meaningful work, a trend Neal Shah, CEO of Counterforce Health, has observed firsthand. “Gen Z’s high levels of optimism especially connect with what we see in healthcare tech,” he said. “They’re not just looking for a passive seat at the table. Gen Z are pursuing opportunities that let them make a real impact in the daily lives of the people they serve.”
This generational contrast becomes particularly evident when examining how different age groups handle professional setbacks. Kickresume found that more than one-third of Gen Z employees bounce back from setbacks within hours, making them the most resilient group. By comparison, Xers can take a week or longer to recover.
The research also suggests that workplace flexibility plays an important role in employees maintaining a positive outlook. A study by International Workplace Group, a workplace consultancy, found that 7 in 10 organizations offering flex working arrangements report employees with greater optimism about their business environment.
Meanwhile, senior-level employees are experiencing a heightened sense of anxiety, and the reasons are transparent, suggests Hayden Cohen, CEO of Near, a recruiter. “Older workers are more anxious because they’re closer to retirement at a time when inflation, recession or both could seriously hurt their retirement plans,” he said. “Gen Z workers don’t really have retirement portfolios or home values to worry about and they can wait out any short-term problems.”
For HR leaders, the research suggests a need for more targeted approaches to maintain and improve workplace morale across generations. Shah recommends creating a connection between daily work and social impact, providing opportunities for employees to drive real change, while making a clear path for career development.
The Kickresume survey also reveals insight about the generational relationship with career planning. While Gen Z tends to focus on shorter-term planning, c-suite and senior-level professionals typically plan 2-4 years ahead or more — a disparity that could also explain the variation in anxiety across career stages.
As for the future? Still more optimism abounds, with 4 out of 5 workers seeing their job situation improving over the next decade — optimism that was no doubt bolstered by the most recent jobs report, which showed the U.S. economy continued to add jobs at a respectable pace in January.
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