When Rohit hit his early 30s, he paused. His job still paid well, his promotion track was on schedule, but because he kept asking himself, “What am I working for?”
He realised the extra pressure, additional responsibilities, and long hours no longer added value to his sense of satisfaction. So, he made a change.
Rohit dropped the chase for titles, narrowed down his professional priorities, took up a part-time freelance writing gig, and cut back on projects that drained more energy than they gave purpose.
Minimalism has long meant simplifying your physical space or paring down possessions. Now that philosophy is reframing work itself. ‘Career minimalism’ puts aside traditional markers of success like status, hierarchy, and relentless upward push, instead giving weight to security, balance, and purposeful work.
In a recent Glassdoor Community poll, 68 per cent of Gen Z professionals said they would avoid management roles unless promotions came with a considerable pay hike — a sharp departure from earlier generations who saw climbing the ladder as the ultimate goal.
As a tribe entering the workforce amid rapid AI disruption, Gen Z seems to be choosing stability and sustainability over ambition.
“Gen Z is definitely rewriting the rules of success. They are giving equal importance to career, family, and personal time. That balance is something we could learn from,” says career guide Vishnu Harikrishnan.
“It’s not about doing less, but about choosing what actually matters. Many of the students I work with often tell me, ‘I don’t want to live only for my job.’ They believe in working smart over slogging long hours.”
Anagha Prasad, a 24-year-old who works in an MNC, swears by this philosophy. “I do enjoy my current job and the stability it gives me, but I don’t want it to define my entire life,” she says.
“I feel like many of us don’t want to get stuck in a system that values titles over real growth. People of my age are making choices that make work feel meaningful, rather than just a routine we follow because it’s expected.”
The choices many like Anagha make are focused on creating time for themselves, whether it’s for skill-building, going out with friends to a café, enjoying a night out, quietly relaxing in their rooms, or pursuing personal passions.
Anagha also points out that many of her friends are working on building startups while holding on to their corporate jobs for stability.
This trend of pursuing a parallel occupation/engagement is gaining traction in the West these days. A recent American survey notes that 57 per cent of Gen Z currently have a side hustle, compared with 48 per cent of millennials, 31 per cent of Gen Xers, and 21 per cent of ‘boomers’.
These side hustles can be creative, entrepreneurial, or activist outlets that their main jobs cannot offer. And Kerala isn’t insulated from the trend of people opting for passion over profession.
It’s a gamble, says freelance designer Harish (name changed). He used to work as a designer with a prominent national daily, where he found the tight deadlines and work stress creatively draining.
“Painting has always been my passion, but the demands of work left me with hardly any time to pursue art. The pay was good, so I kept second-guessing my discontent,” he says.
“But one day, I chose peace of mind over paychecks and prestige. I was hesitant at first, as I was still a fresher. I, however, chose to quit the job and freelance. It lets me live better and do what I like the most. I have a life beyond work now.”
Not everyone sees this approach as a simple choice. Krishna J, who works in an architecture firm, believes it all boils down to privilege. “To be blunt, most of us feel tired without even doing anything just from watching brain-rotting content all day. It makes us crave things we never even thought we needed,” she says.
“This endless chase for elite tastes, for wokeness, for fame and attention… it’s an exhausting loop. And the truth is, the idea of ‘career minimalism’ and ‘micro-retirement’ may sound nice — but it’s a privilege. It works only if you have something or someone to fall back on. For others, it’s about surviving this overwhelming chaos.”
Praveen Kamalamma, a professional coach and career counsellor, cautions against self-manufactured discontentment. “I have heard many young people talk about retiring by as young as 35, or finding quicker ways to earn money rather than growing up the career ladder step by step,” he says.
“Patience and attention spans are shorter. When I visit schools and colleges, students often ask why they should study hard when influencers are making money through social media.”
Praveen points out that this shift also affects commitment. “Human efficiency has increased, but at the same time, people are becoming lazier. It’s not their fault entirely — the environment has changed. Gen Z grew up in comfort, unlike their parents, who had to struggle to build a life. So their sense of responsibility is often less,” he says.
He also cautions about pitfalls of leaving a digital footprint while airing one’s views regarding work. “Companies are well aware of these shifting attitudes. People who appear as unrealistic nonconformists may struggle to land a job in the future.”
Praveen, however, quickly adds that he isn’t advocating for workaholism or servility. In terms of work-life balance, what’s needed is recalibration — not rebellion.
After all, not everyone has the safety net to make career minimalism a choice. The challenge, hence, is finding a middle ground where freedom and fulfilment can coexist alongside accountability and flexibility.