Shifting careers in the middle of the pandemic may seem daunting, but many people are making the move, and a significant number have actually done it successfully. Whether you are actively looking to reenter the job market or contemplating a career move, we’ve highlighted some steps to help you choose a fulfilling career that will bring happiness and life satisfaction. Here’s how:
Dig Deep Into Your Passion
The COVID-19 pandemic led to what’s now termed as the great resignation, where employees from various sectors are quitting at an alarming rate. This has been attributed to the high burnout rates, forcing employees to rethink their work-life balance. Job fulfilment is now a priority in nearly all workplaces as employers seek to combat employment shortages.
If you are considering a career move, you may want to find a job that fulfils your purpose in life. This could be a job you are passionate about and would love doing, even if the pay isn’t that great. Over the last 18 months, people have moved from high-stress, high-paying careers to those that give them the freedom and flexibility they want. Some, for instance, left a corporate career to move into social good. Others simply took early retirement just to be around their loved ones.
Do Your Research
Depending on what inspires your decision to change careers, you always want to get your reasons right. Instead of looking at the short-term gains, you should review your five to 10-year plan and see where your career or professional life falls into.
If you want a more flexible work schedule that allows you to work from anywhere and be close to your family, work-from-home jobs could be your ideal choice. Here, you may consider negotiating for flexible work hours at work or shifting to freelance careers like writing, editing, software development, project management, or social media marketing. Regardless of your competencies, taste, and preferences, there are several remote work options you can pick. Refer to this helpful guide to sort through the many work-from-home job options to inspire your career move in the new normal.
Leverage Your Connections
Once you’ve decided on the career you want to pursue, next is to check if you have the skills necessary to succeed in that career. If you don’t have any transferable skills, consider upskilling to be competitive in that particular niche. Here, you want to network with the thought leaders and mentors in the field to ensure you are learning the in-demand skills. After acquiring the requisite skills, you should look for job opportunities that will give you the much-needed exposure and experience. You can sign up with different job sites for alerts and instant job updates. Similarly, build connections with peers and network on various social media channels and even local industry clubs as you scout around for open opportunities.
However, not everything that you love or want to pursue will automatically present itself to you. Sometimes you’ll have to transition a couple more jobs before reaching your goal. Either way, making a career change requires committing to one thing and putting in the work to ensure you achieve it.
Make The Move Today
If you have genuine reasons to shift careers, do not let your fears stop you from making the big decision. All you need is the courage to make the first move and the information to develop a workable strategy to see you through to the next job.