Career Change in 2025: Why It’s Okay to Rethink Everything
- Sonja Passmore
- Jun 2
- 3 min read
If you’ve been job hunting lately, you’re not imagining things - it’s hard out there. Roles are scarce in some sectors, restructures are shaking up the public service, and even when jobs are posted, competition is fierce. Add AI into the mix, and it’s no wonder people are asking: Am I already behind in my career?
In my work as a career coach in New Zealand, I see this uncertainty every day. People are applying and hearing nothing back. They’re watching their industries shift. They’re wondering whether to hold steady or make a career change. And underneath it all, a bigger question is rising to the surface: What do I actually want now?
What’s Really Happening in the Job Market
Gone are the days when careers followed neat, upward ladders. Today, they’re layered full of pivots, pauses, and resets. Some are planned. Some are forced. All are valid.
More of us are realising that career strategy isn’t just about finding the next title. It’s about checking in with your energy, your values, and the kind of life you want your work to support.
And right now, I’m seeing a real shift in the questions people are asking:
What are my transferable skills?
Do I want to stay in this industry?
What if I’ve outgrown this path?
These aren’t red flags. They’re invitations to reflect, reset, and realign your direction.
Why Career Strategy Needs to Feel Personal
We often think clarity will come from pushing harder but in reality, clarity comes from pausing, reflecting, and making space.
Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can say is, “I don’t know yet.” That’s not failure that’s the foundation of intentional career change.
You’re Not Starting Again, You’re Starting With Experience
One of the biggest fears I hear from clients navigating redundancy or exploring a career pivot is this: “I’m going to have to start from scratch.”
But that’s rarely true.
Take a client who moved from cheffing to home-based childcare — a huge shift on the surface. But when you dig in, you find a toolkit of transferable skills: time management, creativity, pressure handling, routines. The experience didn’t disappear — it evolved.
This is the power of identifying and articulating your transferable skills. It’s how we bridge what you’ve done to what’s next.
Considering a Career Change? You’re Not Alone
Whether you’re in the thick of change or just sensing something’s off, you’re not the only one asking big questions in 2025.
And you don’t need a perfect five-year plan to get moving. What you need is a career strategy that starts with where you are now — not where you think you should be.
Want to hear more real talk about career transitions, strategy, and staying steady in a changing world? Listen to the latest Pick a Path Podcast episode here.
Let’s Rethink What’s Possible
At Pick a Path, we support professionals ready to shift, grow, or start fresh with clarity and confidence. Whether you're needing a standout CV, want to optimise your LinkedIn profile, or simply talk through what’s next, we’re here to help.
Book a free insight call or explore our career coaching services in New Zealand to take the next step.
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