With all the uncertainty, how has COVID-19 impacted your career? Many people experienced tragedy because of the global pandemic and, for many, employment took a big hit. Navigating career change can be stressful but in some ways, it can also be liberating.
Has your career taken a hit from the global pandemic? No matter your reasons for shifting career gears, here are some tips to help you manage a career change and job search during these uncertain times.
Freelancing
Freelancing remotely may seem intimidating at first, but it can be quite simple to do and quite profitable in the long term. You can use this downtime to kick up your freelancing career into gear.
Look into opportunities on remote work platforms such as Upwork or similar. You’d be surprised at the kind of work you can find on these sites—web and software development, writing, sales and marketing, administrative support, customer service, graphic design, accounting, bookkeeping, data entry and more. You set your hours, rate, projects and commitments, so you essentially control the flow of work.
Brush up on your certifications
Have you always wanted to take your career to the next level but could never find the time? Or were you stuck in a job that felt like it had no future? Well, if there’s one thing the current situation is offering, it is time.
Go after leadership certifications, additional qualifications, development credentials, specialized training or even a new degree. Not only will these help you stand out from the applicant pool when applying for new jobs, but it will also give you a deep sense of purpose during this time of uncertainty.
Step into the gig economy
If you want to make quick money while you reconsider your professional life, you can always try your hand at ridesharing, home rentals, personal shopping or food delivery. Be sure you research the safety requirements and precautions of each option.
Not only will exploring these ideas give you time to rethink your career, but you can also use think as a chance to expand your network and build your resume. Potential employers will be impressed by your initiative, dependability, time management and self-discipline skills. Since with many of these jobs you set your own hours, you can still carve out time during the day for certification classes and job interviews.
Feed your entrepreneurial spirit
Having the opportunity to be in charge of your career can be a powerful way to rethink how you want to spend your time. For entrepreneurs who want to learn the ropes of running a business, e-commerce is a great way to step into being your own boss.
Be sure to think about other aspects of owning your own business, like having a customer service philosophy and designing a beautiful mobile-friendly website. E-commerce, on the surface, can be relatively simple—like the dropshipping model where you are essentially an inventory-free third-party vendor—or more complex, where you store and ship your own inventory.
Connect with your network
Get in touch with your references, chat up former coworkers on social media and call your college or grad school classmates. Everyone has a lead or a connection, but you’ll only find them if you reach out.
If your network is small, expand it by volunteering, joining professional organizations, attending networking events and following up with everyone you meet. Some people, you may want to ask directly for a lead, while you may want to be more subtle with others. Encourage them to talk about their own work and see if you can find a natural opening to pitch yourself. If they are close enough to you to be a job reference, call them and let them know they may start getting references.
Changing your career in uncertain times, whether you wanted to or not, can take time and planning. Whether you want to start freelancing, open your own business or go back to school, connect with Radeya Global before you make your next career leap for help in finding direction, preparing for change and landing a great new job.
Written by Katie Conroy
About the Contributor:
Katie Conroy is the creator of AdviceMine.com. She enjoys writing about lifestyle topics and created AdviceMine to share advice she has learned through experience, education, and research. She can be reached at katie@advicemine.com or via her website.
