Career Cushioning
- “what is career cushioning”
- “is career cushioning disloyal”
- “career cushioning vs job hunting”
- “how to career cushion”
01 · Side by side
Side by side
Comparison sheet
| Aspect | Career cushioning | Quiet quitting |
|---|---|---|
| Effort | Increased | Reduced |
| Where | Outside the job | Inside it |
| Visible | Rarely | Eventually |
| Motivation | Insecurity | Resentment |
02 · Which one you meant
Which one did you mean?
In shortReaders who land here meaning Career Cushioning rather than Quiet quitting are usually searching for phrases like “what is career cushioning”, “is career cushioning disloyal”, “career cushioning vs job hunting”.
Quiet Quitting
- “doing just my job and nothing more after burning out”
- “no longer going above and beyond at work”
- “quietly setting boundaries at work without telling anyone”
- “doing the bare minimum but not actually quitting”
03 · Which came first
Which came first
In shortCareer cushioning. November–December 2022 — Earliest social-media uses recorded, amid a wave of technology-sector layoffs.
- November–December 2022
Career Cushioning. Earliest social-media uses recorded, amid a wave of technology-sector layoffs.
- 2022
Quiet Quitting. The phrase goes viral on TikTok during a wave of post-pandemic burnout.
04 · Read either one