Changing Career Aspirations in Lockdown.

Lockdown has caused chaos. Every inch of our lives have been ripped away from a routine that was settled in place like a path we walk everyday. That path is now cracked and has some bumps every now and then. This is when we see that our perspectives or passions have changed. Therefore, this causes people to pause and observe these altered parts of their lives and this can be a very significant change that has appeared: such as career choices. 

Aspirations of careers may have taken a different direction for many reasons – for instance, people have been witnessing jobs crumbling to pieces and this could have put people off the job they decided to reach for. Some may see these jobs as unstable as, if another situation like this occurred, their job would be in great danger. Consequently, others may have simply lost the passion they had or found something that sparked a new joy which seemed like a better option for them in the long-term.

“life throws many curveballs and everything you experience is a lesson to learn.”

Drastic changes in our lives are naturally going to cause a wave of emotions; these may feel overwhelming or confusing. Many in this situation feel as though there is an uncertainty to the direction of their lives because the goal they were striving for has now been stripped away and the next destination is even further away than before. This can be disheartening but it is key to remember that life throws many curveballs and everything you experience is a lesson to learn. You may have many questions about what is going to happen, you may worry about if you are doing the right thing or if you can even change the path you are walking on. These are all valid thoughts and feelings but you will never know if you’ll like something unless you try. 

On the other hand, some people will be excited about the new chapter and direction that has occurred in lockdown; it feels like a new burst of energy that has been injected into their bodies and this is motivation you can use to project your latest passion into new experiences and skills, to get you that dream job.

One major aspect that worries people who have new aspirations in their career choices is that jobs are declining and unemployment rates are at an all time high. Businesses are extremely concerned about how they are going to survive so they have no interest in hiring new employees. This has people questioning how they can get experience or jobs in their new desired sector; whilst there are some limitations at the moment here are some tips to help get more experience and enhance your skills so employers will give your CV a second look.

Firstly, experience may be limited but it is still possible in the COVID-19 world – try looking for internships that businesses are publishing for people online. Internships are a great way to learn about a sector,  to gain and improve on skills and create new contacts (which could later help with references or hearing about future jobs). Most jobs in today’s society are not posted online but employees tell others when there are job vacanies at certain places; so the more people you know the better your chances at knowing companies that hire.

“Any advice is good advice.”

Secondly, if you can’t find internships then take advantage of webinar talks by companies which provide really helpful advice to aid you in getting into your new career choice. These talks may be around forty to sixty minutes (so find a comfortable spot in your room) and once the presenter has finished their talk or presentation they will usually have a time slot for questions – this is crucial. Whilst the person is talking think about what question you can ask them whether that is about the career they have or anything about the sector they work in. This is an advantage for you as you can ask them anything about their job. You can ask many different questions,  for example you may not know how to start a career path in acting so they can offer advice on qualifications  to take or handy tips that can help you gain valuable skills. Any advice is good advice.

Finally, this is probably the most useful tip because this will show employers that you are dedicated outside of the workplace and have a passion for the work you want to enter – it is all about building skills. You can easily build skills independently and this looks fantastic on your application. There are several different ways of doing this, if you want to do something in an English sector than start a blog. Regularly uploading blog posts about anything can enhance your level of writing and improve your time management skills. If you want to go into business or a creative job: start a business. Many websites, such as Redbubble or Etsy, are easy sites to upload designs or new products you have made. This demonstrates to companies firstly your creative ideas and secondly your business skills. There are many different things you can do at home that can improve your skill sets and provide you with unique characteristics that many employers are looking for. 

Bethany Duncan.

Featured image courtesy of Artem Kniaz on Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.