There was a time when career was a defining life feature – but now, almost half of workers say a job is just about the money, while employee satisfaction is at an all-time low.

A person’s 20s and 30s used to be marked by ambition; working hard to climb the ladder and find a successful career.

But in the last five years, things have shifted – burnout is a buzzword and ‘lazy-girl jobs’ have replaced teeth-cutting positions.

In a report aired on Newstalk Breakfast, reporter Sarah Madden asked why professional aspiration has fallen by the wayside, and whether the notion of a ‘dream job’ has been discarded as a myth.

Head of the youth lab at Thinkhouse Clare Highland said the housing crisis is contributing to young people’s disillusionment with the system.

“What you have now is young people that were sold almost this idea of, you work hard and you get the reward,” she said.

“That award typically being wealth and with that, the ability to buy into a home.

“In a housing crisis landscape that we find ourselves here in Ireland now, young people have realised, what’s the point?

“So, there’s a real sense of disillusionment as in, if I work really, really hard, where is the value exchange?”

Stressed teen boy studying with laptop while lying on floor

It’s not just career starters rethinking the job market – in what’s being called ‘The Great Resignation 2.0’, many high-flyers are abandoning the idea of the dream job.

Holly Hughes quit her dream job with the UN Environment Programme to become a waitress in Australia.

“The actual day-to-day of the role did not align with what the job title seemed to promise,” she said.

“It meant sacrificing the happiness of my present self, and that just wasn’t a sacrifice I was willing to make.

“I decided I wanted to be a waitress; I booked a one-way ticket to Australia.

“It was the perfect place to learn to disentangle myself from this hustle culture and from this idea of constantly needing to prove yourself and your worthiness.”

Millennials in particular have been called the ‘burnout generation’.

In fact, according to Deloitte, one-in-four millennials left their job in 2022 because of it.

Main image: Unmotivated lazy girl sits at desk with computer and looks out window unwillingness to do work. Image: Zoonar GmbH / Alamy. 6 August 2024