A young professional from Gen Z has decided to leave her lucrative $180,000-a-year corporate position, seeking a more profound purpose in life after growing weary of her repetitive daily schedule.
Previously employed as a tech sales specialist, she revealed her desire to discover meaning beyond her career, realizing that her job had gradually become her sole identity.
“I understand that it’s not the worst situation to be in, and I was indeed in a very fortunate spot,” shared Lisa Qi in a TikTok video recently.
“I genuinely loved my job and worked tirelessly to achieve my position, but each day seemed to blur into the next as my routine became monotonously predictable,” she explained.
“Every morning, I rushed out the door to work, then returned home to hit the gym, eat, and sleep. It feels like there should be more to life than just that,” she added.
Rather than jumping into a new role immediately, Ms. Qi intends to spend the remainder of the year living off her final paycheck of $28,000, taking time to enjoy life without work commitments.
‘I know it’s just going to be mundane stuff, but I’m just going to be getting up, putting on a cute little outfit, getting matcha, going to the beach and the park,’ she said.
‘I get that but it’s what I want. I want to find meaning in the mundane and I want to be present every day. I want to enjoy and truly appreciate each day.’
The former corporate tech salesperson explained she wanted to find meaning outside of work after her job slowly became her entire identity
Aussies were split over her decision, with some praising her for taking the leap.
‘Congrats girlie! You’ve done what we all want to do secretly inside,’ one said.
‘I left my $225,000 corporate job after four years because I had anxiety and depression and it started impacting my personal life,’ a second wrote.
‘I’m now a freelance court reporter and transcriptionist and am way less stressed.’
‘Same girl,’ another chimed in. ‘Unemployed for five months now and doing absolutely nothing but self rediscovery, unlearning hustle culture and detoxing my nervous system from constant emails and Teams messages.
‘Still trying to find my next move career wise but not fearful of the unknown anymore.’
However, others criticised Ms Qi’s decision.
‘Purpose in life?? Giiiiiiirl not in this economy!’ one wrote.
Indeed career expert Sally McKibbin said Gen Z workers were leaving their jobs in search of deeper meaning (pictured, commuters in Sydney)
‘You can do both, just saying,’ a second said.
Indeed career expert Sally McKibbin said Gen Z workers were leaving their jobs in search of deeper meaning.
‘We’re definitely seeing more young professionals prioritise meaning and alignment with their values when making career decisions,’ she told Daily Mail.
‘That doesn’t necessarily mean abandoning well-paid roles altogether, but it does mean people are more open to changing industries, employers or career paths if a job feels misaligned with their sense of purpose or wellbeing.
‘For many, the goal isn’t simply earning less to feel happier; it’s finding a role where compensation, impact and personal fulfilment can co-exist.’
She said it was more common for Gen Z workers to leave their job in search of something new compared to other generations.
‘This is perhaps because Gen Zs are more willing than previous generations to question whether a role aligns with their values, wellbeing and long-term goals,’ Ms McKibbin explained.
‘Indeed’s data shows Gen Z is more likely than Gen X and Baby Boomers to value career growth and development opportunities, and also more likely than other generations to want more flexibility.’
