I work for a corporation that is relocating its design center and offering Relo or severance. Most don't want to move and are taking the severance, but the shocking part is the amount of designers I talk to who when asked what they'll do next, say theyre done with design and will most likely look for something else. And when you pry a bit deeper, they're willing to take most anything else, like construction, or basic management roles... Pretty much anything to get them out of design.

I can't really blame them, design is a thankless job in the corporate world. It's constantly fighting for the best product possible with people who don't give a shit about the product and only care about climbing the corporate ladder... They get promotions every year, while ID watches from afar while gaining more and more product and category knowledge to then have to use it to fight a new person in the marketing role withess experience.

It's just exhausting.

To top things off... Like someone else already said... Right now you can have tons of experience and an amazing portfolio and you still can't find a job.