Why more than 50% of us want an ‘open relationship’ with our job (and how to find one you want to commit to)

Career

How committed are you to your job? To find out, TopCV, the largest CV-writing service in the world, asked over 300 UK employed professionals to describe their ‘relationship status’ with their job.

The survey presented workers with four options to express their commitment to their current job:

  • Open relationship: “I have a job, but I’m open to new opportunities.”
  • Committed relationship: “I love my job and am not looking for other opportunities.”
  • It’s complicated: “I don’t love my job, but I’m not sure if it’s time to jump ship.”
  • Unspecified: “I’m unsure how I feel about my current job.”

While one in five said they were ‘committed’ and love their jobs, more than half considered themselves to be in an ‘open relationship’, meaning they have a job but are open to new opportunities.

Careers expert, Amanda Augustine, explains: “Whilst it’s wonderful to have a job you enjoy at a company you love, that should never stop you from keeping an open mind. The most successful professionals are always open to exploring their career options, even when they’re ‘committed’ to their current position. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we need to be prepared for the unexpected”.

“Make sure you’re always open to new opportunities and ready to job hunt, even if you’re not necessarily in an ‘open relationship’ with your job; you never know when the perfect job lead – or an unforeseen P45 – might come along!” 

Augustine offers the following tips to be certain you’re always prepared for the job hunt:

  1. Update your CV with your latest accomplishments
  2. Utilise LinkedIn’s new features to update your profile
  3. Start a ‘brag book’ to record your recent wins
  4. Actively monitor your online reputation
  5. Invest in your professional network

You can see the results of the survey below:

Want to find a job you can be loyal to?

If you’re not 100% committed to your job, and are ready to be tempted by a more attractive proposition, you can find advice to help you leave your role and find another here:

Photo by Shalom de León