Three in four workers in Ireland could imagine moving into a different career field, but many do not know how to make the change.
This comes as new research from Indeed’s Career Scout in Ireland has shown that while 76% of workers are open to changing careers, financial uncertainty (31%), age (27%), starting again as a beginner (23%), lack of qualifications (23%) and uncertainty about which jobs would suit them (23%) are holding them back.
The findings suggest that while many workers in Ireland are eager to explore new opportunities, a lack of confidence and guidance is preventing them from taking the next step.
Career Confidence Gap
According to Indeed, the scale of career ambition among workers needs to be highlighted.
Six in ten (61%) said they have a dream career they would love to achieve, while nearly nine in ten (88%) could imagine moving into a field where workers will be needed in the long term.
However, concerns about the future of work remain.
Economic uncertainty was the leading concern for workers when thinking about their professional future (34%), followed closely by AI and automation (32%).
Conor McCarthy, Vice President at Indeed, said: “Changing careers can feel daunting, especially in a rapidly changing work environment. People know they have valuable skills but cannot see how they translate into new opportunities in today’s workplace. Our research shows that many jobseekers are open to change, but they need more clarity, confidence and personalised support to take the next step.
Ireland’s ‘Skill Wall’
Findings from Bannerton, The Irish Monthly Labour Monitor, say that Ireland is experiencing a “skill wall” in its labour market.
‘As hiring demand remains strong, the talent pool is not keeping pace.’
The report found that more than half of recruiters had seen an increase in permanent vacancies, while 43% reported higher demand for contract roles and 41% saw growth in temporary vacancies.
More than half of recruiters also expect vacancy levels to increase over the next three months.
According to research from Citrus Connect, a UK based recruitment company, there is a confidence crisis and a lack of social mobility, saying that 76% of UK employers report a critical shortage of 'Human Centric skills.'
Artificial Intelligence
The findings also show that AI is already becoming an increasingly important job search tool for workers in Ireland.
More than a third (37%) have already used AI to support a job search.
Among those who have used AI, 42% say it made them feel more confident submitting applications, 41% say it saved them time and 30% report receiving more interview invitations.
However, some concerns remain. One-third (33%) worry employers can tell they used AI, while 28% worry AI-generated applications may sound generic.
Barnardos have shown that the rise of ChatGPT in young people has also dramatically risen, with '96% of older teens using AI on a daily basis for tasks, homework and resumes.'
Despite uncertainty around career changes, professional support remains uncommon.
Only 21% have ever used a career coach, with the biggest barriers including never having considered using one (39%), concerns about cost (28%), uncertainty about what a career coach does (25%) and not knowing where to find one (24%).
