CAREERS

Navigating your Career successfully during a Pandemic

Tough moments are for resilient people

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented changes and uncertainty to our lives. The entire dynamics of the human condition has changed globally over a short period of time. Businesses face unexpected challenges, while millions of professionals have lost their jobs.

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), 93% of the world’s workers reside in countries with a workplace closure measure in place. Working-hour losses increased significantly during the second quarter of 2020, as shown in the graph below.

Despite this volatile environment, now is the time to remain positive and stay tuned to future opportunities that will eventually arise. Let’s dive into some success tips on how to navigate your career during this period:

Mindset Change

As businesses adapt to new circumstances post-pandemic, professionals must also be ready to embrace crisis and adjust as well. Humans are the ultimate survival machine having adapted to change on this planet for thousands of years.

Quarantine and lockdown have shown how fragile life is. We are not 100% in control of our lives, unfortunately. However, this situation has enabled us to value what matters most by looking deeply into ourselves and reflecting about our choices.

From a professional perspective, reorganizing our mindset will bring advantages in the long run. First of all, being present in the moment is a huge step.

Are you happy with your current job? Are you satisfied with your life?

If not, this is the perfect timing to re-evaluate your career.

Take time to enjoy life and breathe for a while.

After that, evaluate what would fulfill your career’s expectations, professionally and personally, by reassessing your goals which are more realistic and attune to the post-pandemic environment. You cannot just slide back to your old habits and routines after this is all over.

In any situation, mindset change brings two important aspects: maintaining a positive attitude and learning to adapt to future scenarios.

Exploring Career Options

Transitioning careers, especially amidst a pandemic period, requires effort and determination. Although it is not easy, exploring new alternatives can help you find a new purpose — both on a personal and professional level.

Take advantage of the moment to switch directions and to identify pleasant opportunities leveraging your specific skill set and personality.

For instance, invest in hobbies or side hustles. A surprising business idea might come up from activities you are passionate about and enjoy doing during your free time.

Also, broaden your horizons and communicate with mentors from other industries. Learning about someone else’s journey helps being exposed to more opportunities out there in the job market.

Do not be afraid of aiming for and pursuing your goals/dreams. Hiring activity may be slow in some sectors, but the economy will eventually return to the pre-pandemic growth pace.

Acquiring New Skills — Up Skilling

To successfully change jobs, developing your skill set is crucial. In order to boost your expertise and upgrade yourself, there are many options available out there in the market. And here’s the best part: you can accomplish this from home. Focusing on Technology / Technical skills is a viable option, since the impact and dependency will be higher for organizations in the post-pandemic era.

Due to COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of organizations are offering free online courses, webinars, and certificates. Business leaders are also going Live on social media platforms to share their knowledge and practical advice on their journeys.

Moreover, books are the most traditional way to study and many options simplify important concepts through audio books, podcasts, blog posts and other media.

The knowledge is all out there, you just need to allocate your time to acquire this wisdom.

Networking

Rekindle your old network and get in touch with lost contacts. A lot of people have reconnected back with their old colleagues, who may have climbed higher up the career ladder and built up their own connections along the way. These contacts are vital to you as you navigate these unstable times. Keep all doors open for any opportunities that can arise from time to time.

Let us know in the comments what steps you have taken during this pandemic to improve your careers!

This article was originally published on Lanka Business Review Online.