A staggering 39% of people in Cardiff are considering a post-lockdown career overhaul, according to new research from The National Lottery.
The nationwide survey of 2,000 British workers, has revealed the extent to which 2020 has forced people to reconsider their lifestyles, with jobs and careers coming out as the number one change people now want to make.
A whopping 68% of those polled in Cardiff said they now think life is too short to be working in a job they hate. Over a third (34%) said, on reflection, time in lockdown had made them come to the conclusion that they are not in a career they love, with 30% saying lockdown had made them realise how important a good work-life balance is.
Top of the list of career changes people now desire in Cardiff are gardening, floristry, photography and professional cooking, with 10% of people surveyed saying they now want to retrain for each of these professions. Meanwhile, 8% said they would like to retrain as a teacher or charity worker; and 8% also said lockdown had made them realise they would now like to become a musician or social media influencer.
The study also found that the biggest barriers to changing careers for people in Cardiff include lack of confidence (40%) and having the necessary funds (39%).
A staggering 70% of those polled in Cardiff said the events of 2020 have also made them reconsider their lifestyle and priorities. Over half (55%) have now pledged to become healthier, and 39% said the lockdown had made them realise the importance of spending time with loved ones.
The survey findings are revealed as the country prepares for Friday’s EuroMillions draw, (28 August) – a rollover with an estimated whooping £126M jackpot up for grabs.
It would appear the importance of careers for people in Cardiff wouldn’t change even after a potential National Lottery win, with only 30% looking to quit their jobs if they win.
A total of 35% of people in Cardiff said they would learn a new trade if they won big, 32% said they would start their own business, and 27% said they would become more involved in charity work.
For Alun Jones, originally from Caerphilly, who scooped £1.1M in 2013 on Lotto, his win has given him the chance to give up his job in health and safety to retrain in the art of sports turf management, in line with his love of bowls, football and rugby.
Alun, previously a health and safety administrator at a local firm in Nantgarw, is a major sports fan and is now trained in the art of keeping a sports pitch ready for use, after his win allowed him the time and money to complete a course in Sports Turf Management at Myerscough College in Lancashire.
Alun said, “I’m a massive sports fan, spending a lot of my time at the local bowls club or at rugby or football matches, and so having the chance to train in what goes on behind the scenes at a sports match has been a real pleasure.
“After my win in 2013, I gave up my job and was lucky enough to secure a work placement at Manchester City’s football ground as part of a horticulture course I had decided to study. While there I saw the massive amount of work that went into keeping the pitch ready for use and took the leap to spend the next two years studying sports turf management full time.
“Winning The National Lottery has given me not only the money, but the time and freedom to learn new skills. I would never have been able to dedicate two years to training in something I was really interested in full-time, and as a bonus I now have a very well-kept lawn at home!”
Commenting on the findings, Camelot’s Senior Winners’ Advisor, Andy Carter said, “2020 seems to have left many of us wanting more from our jobs, thinking about what our next career move might be or jacking it all in to do something that we really love.
“Our passion for gardening and cooking in lockdown and months of home-schooling has clearly inspired the nation to consider a career overhaul and realise the importance of job satisfaction.
“And the importance of our careers doesn’t appear to change even after a lottery win, with only a few looking to quit their jobs if they win. Over half of National Lottery winners still work in some capacity and just under a quarter of them have started their own business after their win, turning their hand to floristry, hairdressing – we even have one that has invented their own spicy sauce!”
Players are urged to get their tickets early for this Friday’s estimated £126millon EuroMillions draw to be in with a chance of winning this jaw-dropping jackpot.
Top five new career ambitions for people in Cardiff are:
- Chef/baker, 10.8%
- Gardener, 10.8%
- Florist, 10.8%
- Photographer, 10.8%
- Teacher, 8.1%
