The Road Not Taken: Greatest Career Regrets Revealed

The Top Career Regrets

The survey asked participants whether they had any career-related regrets. Almost 7 in 10 say they regret something regarding their professional life. Additionally, 14% say they have many regrets, and 52% admit they have one or two regrets.

Let’s have a look at the top biggest career regrets now. Here are the answers, along with the percentage of participants who admitted having regrets.

• Not asking for a pay increase – 60%
• Not prioritizing work-life balance in my career – 59%
• Staying at a job too long – 58%
• Not negotiating my salary when I took a job – 58%
• Not getting a college degree – 53%
• Not speaking up in a meeting – 53%
• Not asking for a promotion – 51%
• Being in your chosen career – 50%
• Not getting an advanced degree – 49%
• Being a remote worker – 46%
• Not making a full career change – 44%

Only about one-third (34%) say they do not have any career-related regrets.

Notable Callouts

• While there are concerns that remote work can damage one’s career or professional development, over half (54%) have never regretted being a remote worker.
• Half of people regret being in their chosen career.
• More than 4 in 10 regret not trying to make a career change.

There are some work scenarios about which the majority of workers say they do not have regrets. Those include:

• Do not regret going to HR with a problem – 66%
• Do not regret speaking up in a meeting – 62%
• Do not regret quitting a job – 62%

Action (Versus Inaction) Produces Fewer Regrets

The top career regrets centered around inaction, such as not asking for a raise or not speaking up in a meeting. For the majority of participants, there were fewer regrets associated with actions they did take.

Here are some examples:

• While 58% say they have regretted staying at a job, only 38% have regretted quitting a job.
• 53% have regretted not speaking up in a meeting, compared to 38% who have regretted speaking up in a meeting.

Demographic Findings

• Men (44%) report having regrets about quitting a job more frequently than women (34%).
• Not all that surprisingly, different generations have different attitudes towards various issues. Career regrets peak at mid-career and begin to wane later in life. Here’s how it breaks down by generation:
  • Gen Z: 61%
  • Millennials: 70%
  • Gen X: 69%
  • Baby Boomers: 52%
• Roughly two-thirds of Gen Z and Millennials workers regret not prioritizing work-life balance. When asked if they had ever regretted not prioritizing work-life balance in their career, Gen Z and millennials answered yes more frequently.
  • Gen Z: 63%
  • Millennials: 64%
  • Gen X: 55%
  • Baby Boomers: 50%

Career-Related Resolutions for 2024

We also asked respondents about resolutions regarding their professional lives for 2024. More than half (55%) claim they have at least one career-related resolution for 2024. Let’s look at the top work-related resolutions chosen:

• Learning additional skills – 54%
• Finding a new job – 45%
• Pursuing professional development – 26%
• Growing professional network – 25%
• Getting a new professional certification – 23%
• Asking for a rise – 21%
• Making a career change – 19%
• Finding a remote job – 18%
• Getting a second job – 16%
• Attending at least one professional networking event – 16%

Changes Don’t Happen on Their Own

If you suffer from career regrets, it’s not too late to rectify them. With widely available skills courses both online and in person and useful online tools like resume examples, resume templates and the Resume Now Builder, it’s easier than ever to make the professional changes you need to live a life without regrets.