TD Magazine Article
Sweating the Big Stuff
Employees mourn some career-related decisions.
Tue Apr 01 2025
In The Power of Regret, Daniel H. Pink writes that 83 percent of the population has regrets. That applies to all aspects of life, with 66 percent of 1,000 employees in the US, UK, France, and Germany saying they have work-related compunctions, according to Resume Now's International Career Regrets survey.
Rather than focusing on small-scale issues such as not speaking up during a particular meeting, the survey homes in on big-picture doubts that affect individuals' careers. In addition, the top regrets center on inaction such as not asking for a pay raise, not prioritizing work-life balance, staying at a job too long, and not negotiating a salary before accepting a position. Fifty-eight percent of workers wish they had not stayed at a job, whereas only 38 percent regret quitting a negative work environment.
Such qualms typically peak at midcareer, the survey reveals. For instance, seven in 10 Millennials (who are between the ages of 29 and 44) had career regrets, and five in 10 Baby Boomers (people between the ages of 59 and 77) said the same.
To avoid regret, more than half of respondents have at least one career-related resolution in 2025, such as learning new skills, finding a new job, pursuing professional development, and growing their professional network.
Employees can take charge of their career pathway by using regret "as a springboard," says Jane Horan, founder of strategic consulting firm the Horan Group. In an article for Medium titled "Career Regrets?," Horan suggests that ending the cycle of regret starts with questions:
What do you wish you had known earlier in your career?
What would you change if you could magically rewind the clock?
What would you regret not doing over the course of your life or career?
Do you have a clear understanding of what you want from your life and career?
Have you formulated a plan and strategy to attain those goals?
Are you nurturing relationships that will bolster your journey?
Use the answers to those questions to invest in the future and prevent disappointment.
