If you thought about quitting your job or changing careers in 2021, you’re not alone in The Great Resignation. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed intense pressure on many employees. Millions of Americans are resigning from their jobs, and many are also quitting involuntarily as the workforce shifts. This phenomenon of mid-life career changes has become known as The Great Resignation.
However, The Great Resignation is about more than the COVID-19 pandemic. Modern workers argue that the labor market is no longer serving their needs, and they’re seeking flexible, skill-based jobs. As 2022 begins, The Great Resignation is turning into The Great Reshuffle. Read below to explore why people are starting more fulfilling and lucrative careers—and how you can do it too by reskilling or upskilling through coding bootcamps.
What Is The Great Resignation?
The Great Resignation refers to the large number of American workers who quit their jobs as a result of the recovery period after the initial scare of the pandemic. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the current number of resignations as of November 2021 sits at 4.5 million, and the total separation rate, including quits and layoffs, was an astounding 6.3 million.
As well, according to the Peterson Institute for International Economics, many people stopped looking for work when the pandemic made it difficult to find jobs. Some have built enough savings to live, and others choose to stay home for safety. The Great Resignation is a consolidation of workers’ dissatisfaction and the pandemic’s influence on the workforce.
At Texas A&M University, Professor Anthony C. Klotz, PhD initially presented the idea of The Great Resignation. He believed that, because of the pandemic’s uncertainty, many employees were anxious to keep their jobs. However, once the recovery period approached, these people would finally feel stable enough to quit.
What Is The Great Reshuffle?
The Great Reshuffle expands upon The Great Resignation by proposing that workers shift their career paths rather than leave the workforce altogether. Now that millions of workers have quit their jobs, they have the time and freedom to find a position that works better for them. They can find jobs that inspire them and fit their schedule, values, and career goals.
LinkedIn’s June 2021 report on remote and hybrid work found that 87 percent of employees prefer working from home. The same report also found that top priorities for employees include a good work-life balance, better compensation, and flexible schedules. People who are “reshuffling” their careers are seeking these things post-pandemic.
How the COVID-19 Pandemic Changed Work
The COVID-19 pandemic changed a lot of aspects of everyday life, and the way people work in the job market is one of them. According to Statista, 70 percent of global survey takers worked remotely as of March 2021. With remote work comes more flexibility, and less commuting time leads to a better work-life balance.
The rise of remote work has led many employees to avoid going back to the office, leading many to quit their jobs as part of The Great Resignation and instead find work-from-home careers. As well, the fear and uncertainty have prompted many to reflect on their career goals and decide to reskill for a new job in tech or business.
Why Are People Changing Their Career Paths?
People who took part in The Great Resignation are changing their career paths in The Great Reshuffle because they want to find flexible, high-paying jobs. This time in history has led many to rethink their careers and seek a better path. Below are some of the main reasons why people decide to change their career paths.
- Work-life balance. Work-life balance and quality of life have consistently been important conditions for workers, especially during the pandemic. People want to prioritize spending time with family and finding time for self-care for a better employee experience.
- Job satisfaction. If you are unhappy in a position, you should start a new career path that fulfills you. For example, many food service employees left the industry altogether during the pandemic. Mid-career employees have a high quit rate for this reason.
- Higher salaries. Economically and financially, the pandemic took its toll. If employees believe they are not receiving appropriate compensation for their work efforts, it is a valid reason to change career paths. Millions of people quitting for this reason has led to higher resignation rates.
- Flexibility. The pandemic brought flexible hours and schedules to those who work remotely or in hybrid systems. It provided options to those looking for alternatives, and many workers prefer companies that allow flexible schedules and remote work.
- Skills-based hiring. It is becoming more desirable to work in a position that hires based on a specific skillset. For example, there are many high-paying coding jobs that don’t require a degree. All you need to do is demonstrate your skills with a portfolio.
What Is Reskilling? Why Reskilling and Coding Bootcamps Are Keys in The Great Resignation and The Great Reshuffle
In The Great Reshuffle, most people don’t have the time or financial freedom to get degrees. Instead, they find bootcamps, certificate programs, and online courses to get the skills for a new career. When deciding to change your career path, you should consider what kind of job you want.
Do you have the proper skills necessary for your desired position? Are you willing and able to learn something new to succeed during this career change? Asking yourself these questions will help you determine the route you should take and that route may require reskilling. Reshuffling your career is a big step, and it can take some effort.
What Is Reskilling?
Reskilling is the process of learning or teaching yourself new skills to find a different career path that matches those skills. If you’re considering a career in technology during the reshuffle, one of the best ways to reskill for this industry is by joining an online coding bootcamp. These programs teach everything from digital marketing to software engineering.
The Emergence of Coding Bootcamps to Fill the Skill Gap During the Great Resignation and Reshuffling
In 2021, 44,254 people went to a coding bootcamp, according to our State of the Bootcamp Market research. Statista also reports that bootcamps in North America generated a market revenue of over $350 million in 2020. The bootcamp world is only growing as people want to learn new skills for higher-paying, innovative, and fulfilling careers.
Today, coding bootcamps are one of the main ways that people reskill for tech-related jobs.
Why Are People Choosing Bootcamps?
Coding bootcamps are cheaper than traditional education, with the average tuition cost being $11,727. It also takes less time to complete a bootcamp than a degree, and bootcamps teach you the practical skills necessary for your desired career.
There are many other reasons a person would choose a coding bootcamp over other options for learning how to code. Other pros of choosing a coding bootcamp are: the education you gain from a coding bootcamp is sufficient enough to start your career in tech, a beginner in tech can easily follow the curriculum, there are mentors and coaches to help out outside of the course, and there will usually always be a course that will fit your schedule.
The Fastest-Growing New Jobs of 2022
| Job Title | Job Growth (2020 to 2030) | Average Salary |
| Information Security Analyst | 33% | $103,590 |
| Artificial Intelligence Engineer | 22% | $164,769 |
| Data Scientist | 22%* | $119,413 |
| DevOps Engineer | 22%* | $114,359 |
| Software Engineer | 22%* | $99,729 |
| Full Stack Developer | 13% | $102,744 |
| UX Designer | 13%** | $98,816 |
| Web Developer | 13%** | $77,200 |
| Systems Analyst | 7% | $93,730 |
| Cloud Architect | 5% | $116,780 |
*These job growth statistics have been sourced from BLS information on software developers.
**These job growth statistics have been sourced from BLS information on web developers and digital designers.
The Best New Jobs in The Great Reshuffle: Explained
Information Security Analyst
An information security analyst is responsible for preventing cyber attacks and protecting a business’s confidential information stored within its network system. There will continue to be a high demand for information security analysts, making it a perfect career option with lots of room for growth.
How to Get Information Security Analyst Skills
There are many cyber security bootcamps available to learn the necessary skills to become an information security analyst. One of the best bootcamp options to consider is Coding Dojo, where you will learn skills like identification and assessment of security risks and how to approach them.
Artificial Intelligence Engineer
An artificial intelligence engineer develops new applications and systems that will utilize machine learning and deep learning AI. The outlook for developers and engineers is above average, meaning there are ample opportunities in this field.
How to Get Artificial Intelligence Engineer Skills
For someone just wanting to get into the artificial intelligence engineering field, attending a bootcamp is the best way to get started. If you’re interested in finding a bootcamp with courses that will teach you AI concepts and fundamentals, Simplilearn is a good choice. It has a few short artificial intelligence courses to teach you the basics.
Data Scientist
Data scientists deal with big data collection, cleansing, analyzing, and reporting to help companies make critical business decisions. Data scientists are highly sought after by businesses, and there is an increased need for data miners specifically.
How to Get Data Scientist Skills
To get the appropriate skills to be a data scientist, you should attend a Flatiron School bootcamp. This bootcamp will provide you with big data and data visualization skills as well as communication and programming. Thinkful and Coding Dojo are also great choices for data science.
DevOps Engineer
As a DevOps engineer, be prepared to help simplify the software development life cycle (SDLC) through unifying and automating development processes. The outlook for this job is favorable, as DevOps engineers are also in high demand, but that means only the most skilled applicants will be hired.
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How to Get DevOps Engineer Skills
To prepare for a role as a DevOps engineer, you should at minimum have coding bootcamp experience on your resume. Clarusway is a good bootcamp to learn essential information technology (IT) skills that a DevOps engineer requires.
Software Engineer
Software engineers are computer programmers that design and create software systems. The job outlook for these engineering roles is faster than average occupations as the need for innovative software and technological growth is higher than ever. If you’re interested in building software systems and receiving a superb annual wage, this job is for you.
How to Get Software Engineer Skills
To acquire software engineering skills, you should consider signing up for the bootcamp Thinkful. Its software engineering courses teach programming languages like JavaScript, Bootstrap, and CSS, which are all essential skills you should have.
Full Stack Developer
A full stack developer is in charge of both front end and backend domains in software development. There is good job growth predicted for this position, with full stack developers being in demand and considered assets within tech teams. This is a good choice for people who want to dedicate their time to both front end and backend operations.
How to Get Full Stack Developer Skills
Momentum is a bootcamp available online with courses focused on web development. It teaches the essential tools needed for full stack development, including HTML, Python, and Django, and their classes are continuously updated to fulfill current development needs.
UX Designer
A user experience (UX) designer creates the interactions between the user and product or service on a website or application based on data compiled from research. Becoming a UX designer is a great choice, as there is a need for skilled designers, and many companies are actively expanding their design teams.
How to Get UX Designer Skills
If you want to hone your UX design skills, you should consider applying for a course with The Tech Academy bootcamp. The courses cover essential skills like database and SQL, UI/UX, and JavaScript, and they even include a job placement course.
Web Developer
As a web developer, you will take someone’s web design and turn it into a website through code. There is a positive outlook for web developer careers, many different industry niches for you to explore, and room to advance to a higher-level position. This makes it a top choice for experienced website builders.
How to Get Web Developer Skills
A bootcamp option for those wanting to increase their skills in web development is Nucamp. This bootcamp has a few courses to choose from, with one in-person, four-week course costing only $349. Expect to learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, among other valuable skills for web design.
Systems Analyst
Systems analysts analyze and design information systems to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of a computer system. It is projected that about 47,500 jobs in this area will open each year from 2020 to 2030, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Depending on your level of expertise, you may be suitable for a senior or lead position.
How to Get Systems Analyst Skills
If being a systems analyst sounds interesting to you, attending Code Fellows bootcamp courses should be your first step toward making a career for yourself. There are 26 courses you can choose from that will teach you the skills you need to know.
Cloud Architect
Cloud architects convert technical project requirements into the design that will lead to the final product regarding cloud computing. Despite the job outlook being slower than all other occupations, there are still positions available, and the need for these architects will grow as time progresses.
How to Get Cloud Architect Skills
To learn skills like implementing secure cloud infrastructures, you should consider attending the AWS Cloud Architect course at Udacity. This course is self-paced, online, only 12 weeks, and affordable. This makes it a quick and cheap option to reskill and lead you to a successful career.
Why The Great Resignation Can Help You Improve Your Life
The Great Resignation has given thousands of people the opportunity to seek a career they care about. You can be one of them. The Great Resignation may seem like a downfall with so many people quitting their jobs. However, The Great Resignation has become The Great Reshuffle, which means there is no better time to start your career change.
If you’ve been considering changing career paths, you should decide to take this opportunity to reskill through a bootcamp to find your dream skills-based career. The tech careers with the best work-life balance will help you make a new start and prioritize the things you care about most.
Will The Great Resignation Continue in 2022?
Yes, according to LinkedIn, it is believed that The Great Resignation will continue into 2022. With this in mind, it is time to take action and take charge when it comes to what you want in your career. Join a coding bootcamp today to kickstart your new career and break into the tech industry this year.
The Great Resignation FAQ
The stress and shifting to remote work due to the pandemic are two of the main reasons The Great Resignation began. Employees began seeking careers with more flexible schedules and a better work-life balance.
Yes, the tech industry is one of the best industries to work in. Tech workers are in high demand, and employees are often able to work remotely. Attending a coding bootcamp can help you start your career in the tech industry.
Professor Anthony Klotz from Texas A&M University coined the phrase in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek. Since then, The Great Resignation and The Great Reshuffle have come to describe this phenomenon.
Employees leave companies when they feel unsatisfied with their jobs and current employer and feel that they can find a better position somewhere else. In most cases, they want to find a job that pays better, is more flexible, offers better satisfaction, and has a better office culture.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
