Set your new career direction
If you can afford to look for a new career at this time, want to find a new career when it’s all over or if you are forced to look for a new career right away, you can use this time to your advantage. Even though many companies are not hiring, there are still others in this time that are. In any case, spending extra time at home during the pandemic should offer you more time to reflect and prepare. If you aim at shifting your career, here’s how you can use this time.
Let’s start simple. Even if it feels weird or too optimistic during this time, thinking positively will keep you focused on finding the right opportunities. To start things off you’ll want to set your new direction and do a skill check
Find your passion
You don’t want to repeat the da** cycle again. You find a job, you get excited, the job consumes you and breaks your heart. What you do want is to find your passion. How? Friends and family members will always be very welcoming to give you their opinion and share their personal experiences on what career you should pursue. However, the right career for you is an important matter, and it’s better to seek a professional opinion to guide you in the right direction.. One way to do this is to raise your market awareness through career coaching exercises. Then, seek advice from subject matter experts and professionals in the field you wish to join. Or ask us! check WUZZUF career coaching services now and get guidance from an expert.
Focus on your skills
Another important aspect of the career hunt is to assess and improve your skills. Before we get into this, you need to know that there are three kinds of skills; transferable, self-management and technical skills.
Transferable skills are the ones you can easily learn, can use in your current career and take with you to the new one; such as communication, leadership, presentation, etc. For example if you’re an English teacher, you will need the previously mentioned transferable skills and then add new relevant skills to achieve the teacher’s career duties. Transferable skills can also be called core competencies.
Self-management skills are the ones that you are usually born with or come naturally to you such as stamina, patience while answering questions, etc. Again, if you’re an English teacher the self-management skills you possess will also determine your ability to achieve your goals. Self-management skills can also be called talents. Since you’re usually born with such skills, they are harder to acquire but you can self train over time.
Technical skills are kind of self-explanatory. They’re the ones that you use in a specific career from a technical perspective to perform your job. It can include skills such as deep knowledge of grammar, pronunciation, punctuation, writing rules, etc. Again, if you’re an English teacher, you will need to have the previously mentioned technical skills and more of the sort to achieve your English teaching duties. This kind of skills’ complexity and depth depends on the career itself.
To change your career, it is valuable for you to do two things: :
- Showcase your current transferable skills in a way that gives you an advantage in the new career.
- Acquire the missing technical skills that are needed in the next career move. .
In other words, when you focus on gaining the transferable and technical skills needed for your next career move, and showcase these skills in a professional way; you will definitely facilitate this career change.
This leads us to the third career scenario, sustaining your career during a pandemic. Stay tuned for episode 3: How to Sustain your Career during COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic.
