The COVID-19 pandemic has ground many activities (including businesses and industries) to a halt, and many people are scrambling to make ends meet. No one saw the virus coming, and nobody taught it would drag on for so long. Right now, virtually everyone wants to stay safe and find a way to cater to everyday commitments — usually, that involves staying indoors and working from home.
Is COVID-19 Making You Re-Evaluate Your Career?
If the pandemic is making you rethink your career, you are not alone on that train of thought. Because offices and other workplaces are still under lock, more people are beginning to re-evaluate their goals and rethink their careers. Yeah, you read that right. The uncertainties posed by the pandemic are making people rethink their career.
However, re-evaluating your career to benefit you during COVID-19 is not a walk in the park. The thought of making a career change amidst the pandemic may seem realistic this minute and feel unreal the next. With so many companies cutting down on staff, there couldn’t be a better time to consider reinventing your career.
What do we mean?
The unemployment rate is through the roofs in virtually every state, and employees are getting furloughed from companies and industries — who, by the way, are barely holding up. While economies worldwide continue to take more battering from the Coronavirus, many will say that changing careers at this time of uncertainties is too tricky and risky.
Does COVID-19 Present any Career Opportunities?
There is a saying that goes, “there is good in every situation; all you have to do is look closely.” Yes, COVID-19 has caused so much chaos and “economic tsunamis,” but it still presents unique career opportunities. If you are still at sea about taking the leap in your career, fret not. We will share tips to help you re-evaluate or switch careers during the pandemic. Make yourself comfortable and read on.
What Is the Trade-Off?
Sometimes all you need is a little push to help you out of your comfort zone. Before the pandemic, so many people worked long hours and churned out tremendous amounts of work for peanuts. However, they hesitate because they are not sure if they can make it outside their current job. As you know, boom times make people hesitant and stick to the status quo.
Since companies started to send staff home and slash paychecks, people are beginning to have a rethink. If you are already laid off, don’t let it weigh you down. Instead, take it as motivation to try new things and take the leap. COVID-19 has got many employees and workers asking, is this job right for me, and that’s a great place to start reevaluating your career.
Weigh Your Options
If you are planning to switch careers at this time (when the pandemic is still very much around), there are important factors you should put into consideration. At the top of your concern would be, how is the switch going to impact your income? Depending on why you are re-evaluating your career during COVID-19 — either to make more money or to have experience in a new field, you also need to consider your savings before leaving your current job. Leaving your current job without much thought on your income and savings can turn out to be strenuous because you could be without a paycheck for some time during your career transition.
It’s always advised that you gauge your tolerance and risk level and decide whether changing your career is the right decision for you. Like we mentioned earlier, taking such a big career decision can be smooth and done without breaking a sweat, while others find it stressful. Considering and carefully examining potential risks involved in changing careers during COVID-19, you should ask yourself if changing or re-evaluating your career won’t throw you into panic mode or throw you off balance.
Is Your Plan Short-Term or Long-Term?
To save yourself from getting over-stretched during your career change, you need to know if your plans are temporary or permanent. Some career changes are stopgap measures to help you diversify your skills or make your ends meet until you return to your profession. Take, for instance, a flight attendant may fill in a position as stock shelves at the supermarket until flights resume after COVID-19. Another example is looking out for employment opportunities in areas where your skills are relevant and give you room to learn more. Retail representativeness can take up roles in firms where customer service skills are needed. It is an opportunity to gain more knowledge in your target industry.
Time Your Move!
Contrary to popular misconceptions about re-evaluating or making a career change, especially during economic uncertainties caused by COVID-19, age has less to do with your timing. It’s often the overwhelming debt that seniors accumulated over time that prevents them from exploring new routes in their careers. A young person who doesn’t have mortgage or dependents to worry about has more economic flexibility to cut back and pursue other career prospects outside their cities. Similarly, an older person who has financial flexibility can re-evaluate their careers and not run into bricks. So, the timing for changing careers has less to do with age.
What’s the Take home?
Having touched virtually all the aspects of changing careers and factors to consider, you can see that certain situations like the COVID-19 can serve as a catalyst to make changes. You don’t have to wait until your employer talks about cutting back on staff and salaries before you think about leaving a job you’re stuck in. There are so many opportunities out there you can leverage on and do more with our life. All you have to do is recognize those opportunities and set yourself up for success during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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