Younger workers are more likely than previous generations to change jobs, rethink career journeys and experiment with freelance or entrepreneurial work. At the same time, the labor market is less forgiving, making those moves riskier.

The median tenure with an employer for workers ages 25 to 34 was 2.7 years in January 2024, compared with 9.6 years for workers ages 55 to 64, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And Pew Research Center finds that younger workers are less satisfied with their jobs than older workers, even as overall job satisfaction rose in 2024.

When I met Janel Abrahami at a LinkedIn event a few months ago, she told me about her reverse-career pivot from a corporate gig to a side hustle and then back-and-forth again. I knew she would be a perfect person to profile for the Reuters Emotional Currency series. 

But striking it out on your own comes with risks. Read my latest article for tips to make a side hustle a success. And, while you’re at it, check out this story about a tech executive who is rethinking work, identity and what comes next.

(Related: I’ll be celebrating my 16th anniversary with Reuters this month! Happy anniversary to me.)