Engleski A - 2024. ljeto, reading 3.

Statistics show that, at the start of 2022, one fifth of French people were in the process of changing jobs and over a quarter were thinking about it. In general, labour markets have become less regulated and more insecure for workers. (19)

. English has a word for it – ‘downshifting’ – signifying a career change to an activity perhaps less well paid, but offering better job satisfaction.

Commentators are perplexed by what appears to run counter to perceived wisdom on social mobility and aspiration. Millennials and younger generations in society must increasingly make do with jobs less prestigious than their parents’ or for which they are overqualified. (20)

. What are we to make, therefore, of the manager who actively wants to become a cheese maker?

A recent study in France has lifted the lid on what is going on, providing an insight into new motivations and aspirations. The first takeaway is that career switchers’ attitude to employment is ‘experiential’: they prize fulfilment over material reward. (21)

. Some access benefits during retraining; others have income from family or savings to fall back on. Their existing qualifications and CV offer them an escape route should things not work out. In some ways, it is the best of both worlds.

The new career may not offer the kudos, social opportunities or financial reward they might otherwise expect, but the experiential perspective results in a change in expectation. (22)

. As a result, they rarely feel a loss of status; indeed, they are more likely to report an increased sense of ‘meaning’ in their new job.

This brings us to the second major conclusion of the study, which has more to do with the nature of the employment being abandoned. (23)

. This is manifested in rejection of an unhealthy sedentary existence, as well as the narrow focus of stratified work in a large faceless company. They complained of an increasing feeling of disconnection from a higher sense of vocation in what they were doing. Some went further, describing modern career structures and lifestyles as devoid of purpose and even meaningless.

In stark contrast, manual activity offers the gratification of physical involvement. There are perceived benefits to mind and body. (24)

. This is completely in opposition to the soul-destroying tedium of a corporate culture of meetings, reports and hierarchies, where the division of labour means that workers can never physically hold the fruits of their labour. Of course, disturbing developments worldwide have contributed to this reordering of priorities but, ultimately, a concern with autonomy is what is driving these changes. The retrained craftsperson is more likely to be involved with all aspects of production and to see palpable results from their efforts. This, it seems, trumps old notions of ‘a secure job.’