Few among us could ever have imagined the disruption that would be caused in our lives in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown that it necessitated. COVID-19 has had an indelible effect on the way we live, work and socialise.
Whether you work in Project Management or not, the pandemic has likely required you to make some sweeping changes to your working operations and methodologies.
You will almost definitely have had to accept a temporary reduction in workload or loss of income. Indeed, you might just catch yourself wondering if this was ever really the job or the career for you.
The good news is that now is the perfect time to start rethinking your job, your employer or your entire career.
With much of the world and the economy essentially on hold, the job market is at a leisurely pace, the like of which may never see again in our lifetimes. Without the rigmarole of a daily commute to contend with, you may well have more time on your hands throughout the day.
While you may not have the time to dedicate to a side hustle, you should certainly use this as an opportunity to think about what you really want from your working life…
Start seeking out opportunities online
Now is the perfect time to start researching your available options, even if you’re currently working from home in your current job. Wherever your passions, skills and talents lie, there’s almost certainly a career within your reach that could be more rewarding than what you’re doing right now.
Even if you need to undergo a little extra training in your free time, now might be worth looking into driving instructor training or getting certified as a personal trainer. Start out by thinking about where your skills and passions truly lie and finding opportunities accordingly.
Establish your priorities
As well as thinking about where your passions and skills lie, you also need to think practically about what you want from a job. Are you looking for something that will pay you a lot of money?
If so, are you willing to sacrifice in other aspects of your working life such as long hours or stressful conditions? Or are you looking for something that will grant you the flexibility to master your work / life balance? There are no right or wrong answers here. But you have to be honest with yourself.
Start networking now
It’s harder to achieve your career goals in a vacuum. Networking is the fuel that can open the right doors and help you to shake the right hands. It can help to get you noticed by the people who can take your career to the next level or get a new career off to the best start. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that networking is impossible under lockdown.
Whatever industry you occupy (or are hoping to break into) there are lots of online networking events and webinars that could help you to make an impression on the right people, make new contacts and learn new skills.
