If you’re considering a career change at COVID-19, here are seven questions to ask yourself.
It’s not easy to start a new job, particularly with all the uncertainty that comes with living and working in the midst of a pandemic. This might be the ideal moment for you to make the switch. However, the tensions and reality of the present may be distorting your viewpoint.
If you’re unsure if a job change is suitable for you right now, start by asking yourself these questions.
1. Do I want to change careers, or do I just dislike working in a pandemic situation?
It’s important to consider why you may be considering a job shift at this point in your life. You don’t want to make a major move like a job change to address concerns that are most likely transient in your present position.
If you’re dissatisfied working from home or coping with other COVID-19-related issues, it’s possible that your displeasure stems from the pandemic’s reality rather than your employment. Consider how your job has altered as a result of the epidemic and if it is likely to recover to its previous state or develop permanently into something new. How do you feel about your forecast, whatever it is? Do you think you’ll be happy in your present job until the epidemic is over?
If you’re a teacher, for example, you could be struggling with distant learning and concerned about the approaching school year’s obstacles. However, if you’ve always enjoyed teaching, you may want to persevere. On the other side, if you were already disgruntled or unsatisfied with your teaching profession before the epidemic, you could decide that now is a good time to start looking for other opportunities.
2. Am I Dissatisfied With My Job or Career?
All of the ways you were previously unsatisfied at work may have been discovered or amplified by the epidemic. Perhaps you feel underappreciated or unloved at work. Maybe you’ve always had trouble getting along with your employer, and now it’s much more difficult with everyone working from home. Perhaps you were already dissatisfied with the way your team or workload was heading before the epidemic, and the changes brought on by COVID-19 have solidified those sentiments.
But keep in mind that just because you’re dissatisfied with your present work doesn’t imply you have to shift jobs completely. In certain circumstances, you may be unhappy with your current job, boss, team, or business, and all you need is a new position in your sector with a different firm. Try to be honest with yourself about whether the challenges that are driving you away from your present work may resurface in another industry, in which case a career change might not be the best solution.
However, if you don’t like the job you’re doing or don’t believe the sector as a whole has a future, you could be searching for a greater shift.
3. What do I want out of my new job?
Instead of focusing on what you’re upset about within your present job, think about what you’d find pleasant and rewarding in the new job you’re interested in. Consider what you want to accomplish next—and why—rather than what you want to leave behind.
You could, for example, feel as if you’re not making a difference in your present job. Rather than brooding on that, consider what job route would make you feel like you could make a difference and if you could see yourself being satisfied in that sort of work.
If you’re really enthusiastic about your new career path—especially if it’s something you’ve desired for a long time, you could be ready to apply the skills and tactics you’ve gained in your present job to your new one.
4. What is my current mental and emotional state?
Living during a pandemic may be devastating to your mental health.
Tell yourself the truth about how you’re managing things. You may be feeling sad, unproductive, uninspired, or stagnated as a result of your present circumstances rather than a genuine desire to make a job move. It’s difficult—but necessary—to separate the ideas and sentiments that arise as a result of what’s going on in the world from those that are related to your job and business.
Examine your coping techniques as well, since they may be distorting your judgement. Are you reliant on drugs, alcohol, or poisonous relationships? Are you able to reason and think clearly? Do you find yourself panicking and making rash judgements in other areas of your life? These might be indicators that you should pause and consider your options before acting.
5. Am I Ready to Handle Two Life-Changing Events at the Same Time?
Both surviving a pandemic and changing careers are big life experiences. Do you feel prepared to pivot in your work life for all the appropriate reasons while simultaneously coping with all the additional difficulties that COVID-19 has brought?
If you switch professions now, you may experience the effects of the epidemic at first, which might make the adjustment more difficult. When recruiting is halted and competition for opportunities is high, it may be difficult to locate an employer prepared to take a risk on a career switcher. If you do find a new job, you may only be able to work with your new employer, colleagues, or customers electronically for a period of time. As a result, forming connections and relationships with them may be more difficult. You may decide that now isn’t the perfect moment to start your new profession if you believe it will be too challenging or demanding. (Alternatively, you may conclude that the overall turmoil makes now a better moment for you!)
6. Can I Support a Career Change with My Financial Resources?
Consider the financial implications of the job move you wish to make in light of the current economic condition. You should think about how dangerous it would be to make a shift during a recession and whether you are willing to accept that risk.
Can you reduce your costs or depend on savings if you’ll be out of work for a spell or foresee a wage reduction? Can you put money aside for a few months to provide yourself with a safety net throughout your transition? Would it be better to wait before making a move if you’re afraid of layoffs or budget cutbacks in your new field?
7. What Is My Industry’s Long-Term Outlook?
Retail, transportation, leisure and hospitality, and government are among the businesses that have been hurt worse than others. If you anticipate your industry will take a long time to recover, or if the sort of job you previously had isn’t in demand, it can be a good idea to explore ways to use your talents and expertise in a new sector. You could even wish to take a break from your present profession for a few years, with the intention of returning when it recovers.
It might be daunting to try to answer all of these questions. It would be good to write down your responses, go through them again, and see if you come up with any new ideas or thoughts regarding your future profession.
