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Updated March 6, 2026.
Someone told me that, after building a career in one field for more than a decade, they worried it’d be a mistake to change industries — that they might regret it. And I can’t imagine anything more relatable than this!
When all we know is one industry, and we know exactly how we fit into that industry and who we are in that role, it’s difficult to imagine ourselves anywhere else.
How will our skills translate into a new industry? What will it be like to feel like a novice again, instead of an expert? Will it all be worth it?
That’s why this post is dedicated to anyone who’s scared that changing industries could be a mistake. If the fear of regret is holding you back, this one’s for you.
Millennials: we’ve got career regrets
It’s totally normal to be worried about regretting a big change, especially because millennials really do have lots of career regrets.
In a 2024 survey, 70% of millennials reported having career regrets — more than any other generation in the survey!
But most folks didn’t regret changing careers. It was actually just the opposite:
- 58% of respondents regretted staying at their job
- 44% of respondents regretted not making a major career change!
(I’m big on transparency, so I’ll also share that 38% of respondents said they regretted quitting a job. BUT! That includes folks who job-hopped within the same industry. It’s also a considerably lower percentage than those who regretted staying!)
Why we anticipate regret and what to do about it
If you stay at your same job with your same company, you know exactly what you’re gonna get. And generally, we fear the unknown (a new career) more than the known — even if what’s known is daily depletion, misalignment, and burnout. It’s familiar. It’s “comfortably uncomfortable,” as I like to say.
So if you anticipate regretting a career change, a few things are going on:
We’re afraid of that unknown, and that’s ok!
Whether it’s the absolute best move for you or, in fact, something you will regret, starting a new line of work is going to be uncomfortable! That’s because it’s unknown, unfamiliar, unexplored territory.
You’ll be in a different role, in a new environment, with new responsibilities, a new manager, and pretty much everything else new!
That said…
Can you admit that it’s a little silly to worry about regretting something you haven’t even identified yet — much less taken action on?
This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t worry or are wrong for worrying! It’s natural — and you can bet I was worried about anything and everything when I considered a career change.
All I’m getting at is that it’s normal to be nervous about the unknown, AND you don’t need to avoid a career change (or any other type of personal growth) just because of this fear.
At the risk of hyperbole, I think it’s safe to say:
Everyone who’s ever changed careers was at least a little afraid.
But you can mitigate that fear by getting clear on what to consider when changing careers.
We often jump to the end of the journey before even starting.
When you imagine feeling regret, you’re picturing a possibility that’s several steps ahead of where you are now — and months or even years away.
In order to regret your career change, you’d have already:
- identified your next career move
- solidified why it’s right for you
- put in your notice
- quit your old job
- completed any training or education that may be needed in your new field, if applicable
- applied to jobs
- completed interviews
- gotten an offer
- accepted a job
- started the job
- worked there for a few weeks, months, or years
- developed regret (potentially!)
So you’ve jumped about 12 steps ahead. And you don’t even know that you’ll definitely regret it — you just fear the possibility.
So, when you catch yourself thinking, “What if I’ll regret my career change?” try this follow-up: “What if I love my career change?”
I share more about the shift I experienced when career-change excitement finally outweighed my fears in a recent podcast.
To be honest, you can’t be 100% sure of the future. But since you aren’t sure, there’s an equally good chance that you WILL love your career change, right? It might even be your dream job!
And when you really let yourself imagine that, the temporary discomfort of change becomes more manageable. It’s all leading up to a new life you’ll love.
3 key things to consider if you worry about career change regret
Here are the top three things I want you to know about making a career change. These reminders could help you see this challenge in a more positive way!
1. Your career achievements and experience don’t disappear when you change industries.
You’re not starting over — you’re choosing a new direction. So everything you’ve accomplished still matters! And all of it will help you in your next career.
If you aren’t yet sure what your next career move will be, I promise: once you discover your ideal move, it’ll be easier to see all the ways your history has prepared you for this journey.
So take a deep breath and get ready for new opportunities you’ll actually be excited about.
2. Transferable skills are only one piece of the puzzle.
When you put the constraint of transferable skills on your next career move, you risk sticking to what feels safest — at the expense of what feels interesting and what you’re curious about. That could land you right here again, burnt out and unfulfilled, in a few years. Or even just a matter of months!
Even in completely different industries, most jobs don’t demand completely unrelated skills. For example, at my old job in the agency world, I used to think project management was just for project managers. But as a business owner, I use my PM skills daily!
So if you want a career change because you want to feel more connected to your work and who you really are, don’t worry about transferable skills yet. Start by exploring what fulfills you! Get really clear on what meaningful work means and looks like to you.
That’s when you’ll start to see how your existing skills fit into that new field — and what new skills you’ll need.
3. The sunk cost fallacy is powerful! Don’t let it win.
The sunk cost fallacy is the idea that because you’ve put so much time and energy into something, it’s a waste to change your mind and do something different. When it comes to a career change, of course, there are very real things you’ll have to consider! Finances, stability, work-life balance, commute, and more all factor in.
But for as much weight as we place on these external factors, there’s a lot of internalized fear around change. You also have underlying beliefs about yourself, your work, careers in general, and life changes.
These beliefs are formed over a lifetime of experiences! So it can be hard to tell the difference between reality and our beliefs.
But questioning what you’re truly worried about can help you uncover these beliefs and learn to confront them.
Reframes aren’t about silencing our doubts or judging the fears we have! They’re just about noticing and questioning the actual validity of those fears.
6 questions to ask yourself when worried about career change regret
As a certified coach from an International Coaching Federation (ICF)-accredited program, I know that questions can be way more powerful than advice. The right questions help you see the answers you already know — and over time, this helps you learn to trust yourself, become more confident, and make decisions with more certainty and less fear.
That’s how I know these questions can unlock more confidence in you!
But trust me — skimming these won’t help you move forward. You’ll need to really sit with them. So take some private time to reflect. Start a voice note or grab a pen and paper, working through each question thoroughly!
- Think of a big decision you made, when you couldn’t predict what would happen. Maybe you got into a relationship or left one. Maybe you bought a house or moved away from your hometown. After that transition, what did you regret? What did you appreciate? Repeat this for a few other major decisions!
- In each of those decisions, did happiness outweigh regret? Why or why not?
- What are you most proud of in your current career?
- When you think of your career now, what are you worried about leaving behind and/or not experiencing again in a new career?
- Imagine you’ve been away from your current job for a year. What do you miss? What are you glad you’ve left behind?
- Imagine you’ve found a new job you love. What does that job look like? What does it feel like — how do you feel when you’re doing something you enjoy and/or feel connected to?
career change regret: FAQs
is it normal to feel regret after changing jobs?
It can be completely normal to feel regret after you change jobs. Maybe you accepted a job for higher pay, but you don’t like the employer as much and miss enjoying your work. Or the opposite: you took a pay cut to pursue more fulfilling work, but now money feels tight.
Whatever the reason, feeling regret in the early days of a new job doesn’t necessarily mean you made the wrong decision. Give it some time! If, after a few months, the issue still bothers you, it may warrant a deeper look.
how should I deal with career regret?
If you find yourself regretting a job change, it’s important to go back to the root cause: why you changed jobs in the first place. Was it for money? To follow you passion? For better work/life balance?
If your regret outweighs the intended benefits of your job change, you might consider moving on. But if, ultimately, you traded up, know that a little regret is normal — and it should fade over time.
What if the regret doesn’t fade? You might need to get honest with yourself about what’s not working. That’s not always easy to do on your own! Career coaching services can help you identify what’s not working in your career — and decide what to do about it.
Not sure if a career change is right for you?
The Career Clarity Workbook is a 24-page guide featuring prompts and reflections to deeply explore your life and career priorities.
You’ll start to uncover the root cause of your career unhappiness. Then, you’ll decide whether a career change is in your future — and set personalized goals that actually motivate you.
On the fence about making a career change this year? The Career Clarity Workbook is the guide for you. Get it now!
