Directions for Your Career After the Impact of the Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has made a lot of people rethink a great deal of different issues. This can range from the personal to the much larger scale. There have been many people whose attention has turned specifically to their career and the trajectory that it may or may not be taking. Is this the time to do something youâve always meant to? Or maybe to change course entirely?
There are several different answers to these questions based on your situation. Only you can know whatâs truly right for you at this time. If you arenât doing what you want to and youâve been waiting for the right time to move towards something that you consider your true objective. Why not make that time now? Itâs easier said than done, but you still have options to explore.
Table of Contents
Back to the Drawing Board
Itâs tempting to think that the skills that you have now and the experience that youâve gained up to this point is set in stone. Thatâs what you have to work with in order to find a career. This is a very limiting mindset to have and can often trap you into thinking that you have to do a certain job. Just because thatâs what your past actions have dictated you do. This is entirely not true. Itâs never too late for you to go back and develop some new skills. It can help you to completely reinvent your career path and set you on a course. This ties in with a separate problem that some people have when viewing their careers is that many donât think enough about what they can see themselves enjoying. Instead choosing to focus on what they know they are good at or what they think will make them a good amount of money. These are fine things to be aware of and even desire. When youâre looking at how much time youâll be spending in your job. Itâs important to keep your own happiness in mind as well.
So, what exactly does it mean to have to go back to the drawing board? Well, again that will depend on what you want to do, but usually it simply involves sitting down and thinking about what you would want to do â without the restriction of thinking about what youâre qualified to do. Once youâve thought of something that you would really like to pursue as a career, you can start thinking of the logistics, researching what youâll need to get there and planning what youâre going to do about it. One element that you might find recurring in any number of your possible career paths is that of studying to earn relevant degrees or qualifications. This is a great way of earning both a qualification that will help you to become a more appealing candidate to prospective employers, and gain experience that will be beneficial in the field that youâre thinking of entering.
Going back and trying to think about what you really want to do can be more difficult than it sounds and coming up with a concrete answer that is different from what youâve done before can leave you feeling as though you simply have too many options. In this case, it might do you some good to look around a bit for examples that can give you that spark of inspiration that youâre looking for. Doing this can help to illuminate jobs and positions that take advantage of the times in regards to what is finding success and what isnât. For example, doing this might give you a sense of why now is the best time to get an online MBA, which can set you along the path of business and all of the benefits that a career in such a field can offer you. Studying online can also be a great way to work your upcoming qualification around your existing schedule and might help give you peace of mind compared to the alternative due to the nature of the pandemic.
Exploring What Working from Home Has to Offer
Many people were unfamiliar with the concept of working from home before the pandemic, and it has led to many now working in conditions that were completely new to them. For some people, they will miss the aspects of going to a workplace such as socializing and the general activity of the day. Others, however, will enjoy the more relaxed nature that working from home can provide you with, and the freedom to fit your work more seamlessly into your life. If youâre someone who finds yourself in the latter camp, you might want to take this further and start thinking about how you can get involved in a career that allows you to work from home on a regular basis. There are several that may well do this, and even some that offer flexible working conditions that often alternate between home working and office working, which could be something that suits you even more as it gives you a taste of both worlds.
If youâre serious about doing this, you might want to consider making some adjustments to your setup at home if you havenât already. At a typical office, the desks and chairs provide conditions that can help to spare your posture. Also from back injury and discomfort (or at least aim to do so). At home you might find yourself simply making do with the sofa. Thatâs something that might work in a pinch but over time is going to be incredibly damaging for you. It could even present you with some long-term problems. Therefore, you might want to consider investing in an actual desk and chair. Since even these mere basics can provide a world of difference in the level of comfort that youâre experiencing. You might also find that this difference in setup has an impact on your mentality. While you work from home, potentially giving way to a more productive attitude than you might experience.
Given enough time, you might find that you want to take this a step further. As well and consider dedicating a whole (potentially small) portion of your house to being your office. While you might find it difficult to do this with the space that you have available in your home. Doing so might help you to stay more organized. Do a better job of keeping your work life and home life separate. Which can be difficult when you work from home.
Working Outside More
You might find that the increased amount of time that youâve spent inside. During recent times has encouraged you to go outside and see what the world has to offer. While this is something thatâs been true of many people during the pandemic. You might want to take it a step further and make a career out of it. Itâs certainly possible to do so, but you have to know where to look. If you were interested in becoming something like a ranger. There would be specific qualities and experience that youâd need in order to work your way up to that point. However, and you might find that working outside more can offer you many benefits. Including all the mental health advantages that usually come from spending more time in touch with nature.
It might not be that youâre looking for a job that revolves around. Going to natural spaces and working with nature. But one that takes you travelling and to many places that you havenât yet seen. Itâs not unusual for people to start thinking this way after theyâve been spending large amounts of time indoors. It can get claustrophobic and give you that urge to travel. The world is a big place and travelling around it can often be expensive. Thinking of ways that you can work this travelling into a career can effectively kill two birds with one stone. Giving you a way of travelling thatâs financially viable. Whichever career that you choose to help take you down this path. Might allow you to connect more naturally with the culture. Wherever you end up going than if you were to simply go there by yourself.
You have a wealth of options at your disposal. The pandemic might have been the inciting incident that helped you to realize it. Going forward you might have a much clearer understanding of what youâre looking for. What you want to do with your life. This is all subject to change again. Mind you, and itâs important that you keep an open mind about what you might. Itâs very difficult to know if youâll enjoy a job without actually having some experience within it first, after all.
