Workplace dissatisfaction is nothing new

... but the past two years have prompted many people to ask, “Is my job really worth it?”

• Some have titled this era—one in which employees are unwilling to compromise personal interests for organizational gain—as the Age of Anti-Ambition.
• Whereas ambition used to be measured in promotions and salary raises, today it’s a marker of how much passion or personal pride employees bring to their roles.
• The pandemic prompted many of us to reconsider what matters most in life and how a career can contribute to overall well-being. Levels of ambition have changed accordingly.