How the Pandemic Can Help You Change Career Paths

Life is unpredictable; that is simply fact. One minute the sun is shining, and you are taking in deep breaths of fresh air, and the next minute you have something resembling the inside of a child’s diaper on your face wondering where did the world go wrong?

2020 has brought most of us into isolation,
away from loved ones, and from favourite outdoor activities,
and sadly, 2021 has not changed much for us.

For some, this pandemic may have even taken away your jobs. Well, the one thing it cannot take away is your determination and passion to keep going, and keep going we shall. Because whilst it may seem like doom and gloom, it is not, and we are here to tell you why! So please, take a deep breath and relax knowing you can change your situation and make a choice that is going to work in your favour.

This Covid wave will not last forever and things will slowly get back to how they were. Sadly, or happily depending on your view, it does not mean the world will go back to exactly how you’re used to it functioning, and it certainly does not mean you have to go back to your old ways either. Many have embraced lockdowns as a time to reflect on habits and behaviours. Some people are eating better, doing more physical activities, editing their wardrobes, and others are completely reinventing their entire lives following a dream they always wanted but never felt the timing was right. Now is your time, take a profound reflection into what you want out of your career.

Here are three things you need to think about when it comes to your career choices during and post pandemic:

1. What keeps/kept me in my previous job?

There are many pulls to stay in employment and prevent you from taking a step outside of the job.

Pull number one – money. Unless you are some heir/heiress to millions of dollars, chances are you need to work to pay the bills. Losing employment can cause a lot of tension to this key factor of your survival. It is an understandable reason to stay at work. But money is fluid and can be gained once more.

Pull number two – habit. Were you stuck in that same cycle; wake up, grab a coffee, go to work, come home, watch some tv, go to bed? We are all creatures of habit, and it is not easy to break a habit. There is a reason why there is a saying “all habits die hard”. Perhaps you’re unsure of what else is out there or what you are capable of doing?

Pull number three – the biggest pull of all – fear! Fear of the unknown; fear of change; fear of loss. So let us talk about the prime and real driver of all that keeps us locked in our own unwelcome cage we never knew we were in – living in fear. Ultimately, you want a job that satisfies more than just a paycheck or a daily task. Taking the first steps is hard and bold, but when you understand what really kept you from leaving your job willingly, it will become easier to move forward and make the next choices. So how do you overcome fear? By facing it! This is truly the only way you can make any significant changes to your career path – jumping in with both feet.

2. Do/did I even like my last job?

We travel through life going through the motions. We don’t stop to reflect and smell the roses. We feel content and/or afraid to come out of our ‘comfort zone’. Day in day out, we repeat the same task – papers in, papers out. But are we fulfilled?

This is the question you need to ask yourself – is my job fulfilling me mentally, physically, spiritually? If the answer is yes, fantastic! You have found a job you love doing for the rest of your life. But if the answer is no, then you have to ask the question; “what don’t/didn’t I like about the job?”

When you question your work and it’s enjoyability, ask yourself ‘is it the task itself, or Jane from accounting making life hard?’. Well, if it is Jane, be sure that in every organisation you will have a Jane there. But culture is important. If the company you work for does not provide you with a positive workplace environment, then is this really the company for you?

What happens to you when you are in a negative or toxic workplace? Your stress levels increase, you become demoralised and less engaged in your work, but might be too afraid to express your concerns to management. This will of course vibrate through to your personal life outside of the workplace. Eventually, anxiety can completely take over and cause total paralysis in your day-to-day life. So how your company manages the ‘Janes’ of the organisation is an important key to a happy workplace. A happy workplace results in better staff retention and more productive employees.

If the job itself was not rewarding, then identifying what you disliked about the work is key.

One effective tool we found helped us through many difficult decisions has been a simple pro’s and con’s list. There are different versions to such a list; the traditional pro’s and con’s list, negotiable and non-negotiable tasks list, and a likes and dislikes list. Never having to have thought about an issue critically before, can make this simple task a confronting one, however, you may be shocked to see how you truly feel about something when you have it all clearly mapped out in front of you. From here, you can do multiple lists – go beyond the job duties you have been conducting, and experiment with asking questions about your own personal likes and dislikes, wants and needs, goals and dreams. By doing such activities you can start to discover what kind of work you wish to do and the type organisation you wish to do it for. You will discover who you really are. This should open ideas to new career paths to follow.

3. Are there actually jobs out there for me today?

Now that you have identified the whys and what’s, the next question you may have for yourself is which career path do I follow? In some cases it can be obvious as you may have already known what it is you always wanted to do. In other cases, you may know what you like doing, but unsure of what kind of work/career it translates to.

Let’s talk about the latter – there may not be a job that will tick every box you have, but there surely is a job that ticks most. Going online you can do a careers search and find out what duties and responsibilities are – see what matches your preferences best. It is always best to do your research before settling into a new career path. As you look deeper into the duties and responsibilities of that industry and job, you may come to realise it is not for you after all. Click button below to view a few good resources we suggest:

My Majors

This site lists multiple industries with sub-job categories within the industry. It provides a detailed outline of job duties, along with salary expectations. It is important to note that this site is USA based, and thus may not translate globally, especially salary expectation wise.

Seek.com.au

Their career advice page is full of wonderful information. It not only provides details on job duties, it also gives you a brief overview of the industries that are hiring and which job types are currently most sought after. This site is only Australian based, therefore will not translate globally in terms of salary and job rising expectations.

Job Outlook

This site is also very useful to take a quiz or two to find out what career best suits your work style, as well as information on industries they believe will be expected to grow over time. This government site is only Australian based, therefore will not translate globally in terms of salary and job rising expectations.

Prospects

This is a UK based website looking at jobs specifically in the United Kingdom. However, their “What can I do with my degree” page outlines the various industries and careers one can undertake. This site highlights the various jobs within one degree an individual can do. This is useful information for anyone, whether living in the UK or not. It will most definitely expand the mind to ideas beyond what may seem the logical one or two roles a person can undertake.

Your next question after that may be ‘how do I get a job or change my career path?’ or ‘are there even jobs out there?’. The answer is absolutely there are jobs! Whilst many companies are going lean in their workforce and letting staff go; many are still in full swing, hiring and growing their teams – trust us, we personally know of many companies doing this.

When looking for a career change, you need to be sure that the industry is still strong and has a pulse. Since retail, for example, is reformatting into the ecommerce world, then unless you are happy to sell online; it may be an industry with less opportunity. Thus, it is important to research the industry you wish to pursue, find the multiple jobs and avenues you can take to get your foot in the door, and be open to retraining.

Today, there are many courses one can take online and develop new skills for a new world. When better than right now to invest in your skills? You are not bogged down by daily work duties and your social life is limited thanks to lockdowns- now is a great time to invest in yourself, your education and re-skilling. A lot of courses are also financially affordable. It is a matter of simple research; the Internet is a wonderful tool to find a list of courses you can undertake, as well as comparing prices.

So you just need to do three steps – identify what held you back, identify your wants and needs and lastly, pursue your career goals.

Often, we convince ourselves out of certain tasks and dreams, believing we are unable or incapable of doing them. Too often we listen to others telling us it’s impossible or too risky to try. Now is the perfect chance to take a leap of faith in you and follow a gutsy heart and dream. If you are still unsure how to sell your skills to a new job, then My Career Angels would love to assist you in this task. Stay tuned for more blogs, specific to such missions.

Happy job hunting,

My Career Angels

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