‘Why did I leave my job for another one with a lower salary’

Like millions of people around the world, the pandemic spurred Joe Flynn to re-evaluate his professional career.

The 34-year-old man from Worcestershire, a county in England, had spent 10 years selling mortgages. But during the restrictions of the past 21 months, he began to re-evaluate what he wanted to do with his life.

“The rental mortgage industry wasn’t something I always thought of pursuing, but it was a career that gave me strong personal development,” he says.

“I realized instead that I wanted something I could make a difference in. Something I cared about.”

Inspired by previous volunteer work, Flynn found a website called CharityJob, which lists jobs in the industry. An opening at The Vegan Society caught his eye.

“It was perfect to be a vegan for eight years,” he says.

Now three months into his managerial role, Flynn is excited about his new employer. “Everyone is very passionate here and wants to drive the organization forward. It’s really motivating.”

However, he admits that accepting a “significant pay cut” made him question whether it was the right thing to do. “But I thought about my ethics and what I want to do,” he says.

“I thought I would forever regret not taking the opportunity. You can’t put a value on job satisfaction when you’re dealing with an organization whose morals and ethics align with yours.”

With more focus than ever on topics such as climate change, sustainability and equity, younger generations in particular are more committed to finding a career with a positive social impact.

Throw the pandemic into this mix and the trend towards a career-oriented social proposition has accelerated.

Seven out of 10 people say the coronavirus has made them re-evaluate their careers, according to a new report by Escape the City, an organization that helps people leave the corporate sector.

The study also found that 89% of respondents now “wanted a career with a strong sense of purpose.” In the pre-Covid-19 world, that number was 71%.

Skye Robertson, Escape the City’s chief operating officer, says the pandemic has changed people’s desire for careers.

“It has been a period of reflection for people to think about their lives and work, and what is important to them,” he says. “People are moving into careers on purpose.”

Robertson adds that as many people have become accustomed to working from home since March 2020, the social aspect that kept many workers locked into their jobs has significantly weakened.

Habiba Islam is a career consultant for 80,000 Horas, an NGO that provides information on how individuals can make the greatest social impact during their working lives.

“For most people, their career is the best way to make a positive impact,” she says. “The pandemic and the changes it made to make it work have led people to think more about their career choice and what they want to do.”

“But there were other factors at play. The other aspect is facing a global catastrophe. It turns people’s attention to bigger world problems, thinking maybe they could be working to prevent the next Covid, for example,” he adds.

Yasmina Kone, 27, was managing graduate recruitment at a law firm when Covid-19 was born.

“The pandemic was an interesting time,” she says. “I spent a lot of time sitting behind a screen, and it made me focus on who was benefiting from my work and how I was using my skills.

“There was widespread suffering as a result of the pandemic and I began to realize that I wanted to have a more direct impact on vulnerable communities.”

Then, in May 2021, Kone left his job to become a manager at Beam, a social enterprise that helps homeless people find jobs.

She says her new role has been motivating when the world seems “a dark place. Now I’m changing people’s lives.”

Kone admits that he accepted a reduction in salary for the position. However, she says it was worth it.

“Every day, I help people. That’s a mental drive, plus unlimited vacation and sharing options.”

Robertson insists that it’s possible for a person to move into a more socially relevant job without having to see their salary drop.

“We’ve heard people say that there is a ‘moral tax’ (when you leave a corporate job for a purpose), with massive wage cuts or having to work for a charity, but that’s not the case anymore,” he says. Robertson.

She points to the growth of so-called “B Corps” businesses—companies of all sizes that have committed to balancing profit with purpose and considering their impact on the wider community and the environment.

“There are now hundreds of B Corps offering careers with purpose,” says Robertson.

For those re-evaluating their careers, Islam recommends exploring what social issues you care most about and want to work on, and what your specific skills are.

“For example, maybe you can work in research to help make advances in a particular field. Or work in government or politics. There’s also the possibility of working in a non-profit organization,” she says.

“There are a variety of different jobs, from communication to leadership, entrepreneurship and even creating a non-profit organization. See what a rewarding, high-impact career can mean for you. Everyone has different priorities depending on location , finances and personal factors.”

​Rachel Abraham adds that “after such a turbulent year in 2020”, she “was thinking about what she considers important in life”.

Working in marketing, the 27-year-old from Liverpool says she “no longer wanted to generate solutions just for business”.

Abraham adds, “I wanted to apply my skills to a more morally centered cause. I knew I wanted to work for a charity that prioritizes and champions positive mental well-being, especially with young people.”

She then joined iheart, a children’s mental health education charity, as a marketing manager in August 2021.

“Working for a charity, people are so much nicer and the daily interactions are rewarding. Especially when you’re getting feedback from kids who are feeling so much more confident,” she says.

Abraham adds that it’s an immediate job satisfaction. “You are not putting pennies in an unknown person’s pocket. There is a greater purpose.”