We all know that the recruiting landscape is changeable and precarious at the moment. Covid and Brexit have taken their toll, and changes in the way we work have also done their best to uproot some people from their comfy positions.

Increased activity in recruitment is down to more than the unemployed trying to get back on the horse. A study by Aviva shows that more than half of respondents (53%) plan to change careers, with those aged 25-34 the most likely to take action in this regard.

The pandemic has dealt the hospitality sector a huge blow. Lockdowns have hit both employers and employees hard; now things are up and running again, because of the lack of workers from overseas, finding staff has become a nightmare. Some UK nationals have decided that the long hours they worked, pre-pandemic, are no longer attractive, having re-evaluated their priorities whilst on furlough. There have even been reports of recruitment agencies refusing to take on clients in the hospitality sector, knowing how difficult it will be to fill vacancies.

There’s uncertainty within other sectors, too—such as the travel industry, the arts, and those delivering hair, beauty and cosmetic treatments. It’s not beyond the realms of the imagination to believe that some workers within these industries may have thought of changing career to one with a more stable and secure future.

It seems that the pandemic has caused many people to take stock of what they want from their jobs and careers, whatever their sector. Another sign that people may be thinking of changing direction is in the surge of attendees on self-development courses and workshops, the rise in sales of self-development books/audiobooks, and the increase in self-directed learning. Research by Cornerstone OnDemand noted a threefold increase in the latter once the pandemic took hold. This rose to a six-fold spike towards the end of 2020.

On the other side of the coin, some people have formally returned to their days of education. UCAS statistics show that the number of people applying to be a full-time under-graduate student has risen by 24%, an increase apportioned to the same reasons mentioned above, brought on by the pandemic.

Another good reason that employees may be taking their training and development into their own hands could be down to a lack of a training budget within the company they work for. Given that many UK businesses have concentrated solely on surviving during the last year or so, it’s no surprise that the training, development, and advancement of their employees have not been their first priority.

As specialists in recruitment website design, we have to continually learn and adapt on the job—as technology advances and new tools and techniques appear. We have to stay one step ahead, to serve our clients as well as we do. Self-directed learning (because we can’t exactly rock up to Google’s headquarters for instruction every time there’s an update) is par for the course at Fast Recruitment Websites. On-the-job training, particularly within the digital sector, is just one way we differentiate.

By all accounts, it seems that people working full-time in career-orientated roles are the ones thinking about, or taking steps to, change their future. For workers in part-time and casual roles, however, this outlook isn’t as widespread. Many people working these hours do so for a reason, perhaps because of family and caring commitments or health issues. They may not have the resources, capability or time to work towards changing their situation. Dr Benjamin Gray, Public Health Researcher at Public Health Wales, said, ‘18-29-year-olds are the age group with the highest proportion placed on furlough (41%) and 2.5 times more likely to have been placed on furlough than the 40-49 years age group and, as such, risk an uncertain future.’

Between February and April 2021, vacancies reached 657,000, which showed a growth of 8% on the previous quarter. The moving and shaking of the job sector is clearly rife with jobs on offer and plenty of people looking to move from their current roles. It’s certainly better for UK Plc on the world stage if jobseekers expand their skills and improve their employability; given that free movement in Europe is no longer a thing, perhaps more of them will remain here for the betterment of the companies they work for.

According to some experts, the shake up to the job market was long overdue, resulting in a tumultuous landscape for all involved.

There’ll be choppy waters for a long while yet.