Reinventing your career in the times of coronavirus pandemic

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has crippled many careers and left candidates in a cloud of uncertainty. When basic survival is in question, employees find it difficult to pursue any career development plans. Uncertain situations force us to behave in a conservative fashion, which further impacts the ability to wholeheartedly approach the topic of ‘reinventing career’. Contrary to the popular belief, you can reinvent your career in the middle of a pandemic if you focus on the following right things.

Developing a career plan

A job change is a non-linear process. Selecting a career path initially can be confusing. It becomes especially unclear when there is uncertainty across all industries. In such conditions, it is natural to want a portfolio diversification rather than sticking to a single-track plan. Now this journey of self-exploration needs to be planned properly.

The first thing for a candidate to consider is their dream career track. A person who is interested in developing a new career post-pandemic needs to analyze what they wish to be in the long run. Let us look at an example,

You may be interested in developing a career in the IT security space. So firstly, you will need to concentrate on the career pathway and the job profiles this stream t offers. Conduct thorough research on existing job profiles and their basic requirements for a switch. In this fashion, you are solidifying a career of your choice for the future. Being well informed about the job role of your choice is the key to a healthy career. After all, the need for valid information is crucial, now more than ever.

In the post-pandemic world, the competition for a desirable career is going to be cutthroat. To steer your career forward, you need to embrace this process and be well educated about your chosen career path and its possibilities.

Undertaking new projects

The journey of career re-innovation involves experimentation. Trying your hands on a couple of new projects is a great way to identify strengths and weaknesses. This exercise helps candidates to gain knowledge, insight, and develop skills in all domains. Acquiring new projects on the side along with your regular work is also going to strengthen your organization and time management skills – which on a bigger picture, allows you to emerge as a highly responsible employee.

Side projects do not need to be a freelance online job or a consultation gig. Many jobseekers prefer enrolling themselves for classes to upgrade management or leadership skills. As an additional project, one can start working on a rudimentary skill or even choose to strengthen their pre-existing skills.

The pandemic surely limits the possibility of obtaining side projects. Nevertheless, under present circumstances, people find it easier to reallocate time and resources to all projects that were otherwise moved to the back burner. Enrollment in online courses has gone up as people have started working from their abode. Utilizing the office commute time you save you will have ample time to develop a new skill easily.

Networking

Networking allows you to build interpersonal relationships that help you reach out to a diverse set of people This can be done during a pandemic also. Candidates often wonder how they can initiate contact. There is a golden rule in networking to reinvent your career – mobilizing the weak ties. “How can I mobilize my weak ties?”

You start by reaching out to people whom you do not know very well or maybe those you do not get a chance to meet often. Doing so maximizes the chance of learning new things about career growth and opportunities.

LinkedIn happens to be a brilliant portal for everyone who wishes to build a network based on their secondary and tertiary connections in terms of career growth. – You can practice this approach to filter the most accomplished connections in your professional life and start approaching them for insights. The goal of this exercise is not to approach strangers in the name of social networking. The objective here is to reap the benefits from existing dormant ties. It can include previous employers and co-workers, former clients, and business partners.

Consultation with resourceful connections

Confusion is the sidekick of a career change. With the uncertainty of a new career path, candidates develop a habit for introspecting. Though introspecting situations can be helpful in many scenarios, self-analysis after every active experiment can leave you unproductive. A head full of dreams and no plan in sight is unproductive.

To reinvent your career, you must self-reflect on what you have learned during your career. If you need more suitable help, reach out to past seniors and former employers for a better dissection at your career. The reason why many career changers benefit from “talking it out with resourceful connections ” while undergoing a career change is that they find others with similar experiences. Connecting with resourceful individuals allows you to understand the decisions that you have made in your career before acting upon them. You get a better sense of direction by doing so.

In summation

The physical limitations in enhancing your career during the pandemic are high. However, there are a lot of career initiatives that can be taken online. The world of social media keeps one informed, while the connectivity of online resources allows you to get in touch with everyone in a jiffy. Change your career track during this pandemic by creating an online profile with Monday Joining. Get the opportunity to connect with the industry’s top recruiters for part-time or full-time work from home opportunities and develop new skills!