If there's anything we've been sure of over the last couple of years or so, it's that there's plenty of uncertainty in the world and job markets. The global pandemic has wreaked havoc on many businesses and industries while some others have thrived.
This makes it imperative that workers stay alert to changing demands and look for ways to give themselves the best future direction possible.
Hone Your Remote Working and Technological Skills
Since remote working isn't likely to be off the table even when COVID-19 is a thing of the past, it pays to make sure you're adept at being effective, self-motivated, and productive when working from home. You need to know how to handle being part of a widely distributed workforce and developing relationships without all the traditional in-person communications.
You'll want to familiarize yourself with a variety of tech programs and skills, too, so you can hit the ground running with software in new roles. More and more training, processes, and tasks are being completed online now. Adapting to the future of work in a remote and tech-driven way will ensure you don't get left behind.
Keep Learning and Practicing
While you might have been concentrating on just "keeping on keeping on" in the past year or so due to the pandemic and related uncertainties and stressors, moving forward, it's wise to get back to growing yourself as a worker. Invest in learning new things continually and practicing them, so you're not a one-trick pony and always have more to offer. Plus, this kind of development should help keep you more engaged and interested in your line of work.
You could attend relevant trade shows, conferences, and other events, join business and industry groups, and enroll in further education courses and workshops. It also pays to get helps with some quality career coaching, for instance, to guide you along your path. Coaches can help you develop a short-term and long-term career strategy with goals to focus on to keep you accountable and progressing, rather than getting stuck in a dead-end role.
You might like to see if you can find a mentor for your career, too. This person might be someone you know or approach who's open to assist you for free or a professional mentor you pay for their insights and guidance. Either way, a mentor can help you spot weak spots in your arsenal that you need to work on and understand your industry better. They can provide someone to vent to when you have career or workplace struggles and aid you in seeing things from other perspectives, among other things.
Develop a Solid Online Presence
These days, no matter what type of work you're in, it pays to have a professional online presence where people can learn more about you and your skills and experience and get in touch. As such, post-COVID, it pays to either set yourself up with a quality website or at least a LinkedIn profile, or update what you already have. You could start a blog, too, to post updates and share information and showcase your expertise.
Most employers or potential clients rely on content online to inform them about a candidate or consultant, etc., and use such details to better understand what someone might be like to work with.
Be Flexible with Your Career Plans
If there's anything that the global pandemic has taught us, it's that even the best-laid plans sometimes have to change. It's good to have goals and a plan of attack for your career, but also try to remain open and flexible. You never know what opportunities might present themselves to you or new paths that open up that grab your interest. If you're too rigid, you might miss out on roles or connections that lead you someplace great.
None of us know what the world or different industries will look like a few years from now, so leave yourself open to taking advantage of incredible opportunities and resources as they come your way. Plus, keep looking for paths to create exceptional circumstances for yourself. Be proactive by networking, obtaining testimonials and referrals, and keeping a watch for interesting market developments you can jump on.
The job market for the roles you have been in for years or wanted to get into may have dried up or considerably changed due to the impacts of COVID-19, which can be devastating. However, with all this change comes new circumstances that can bring fresh ideas and chances, if you're willing to take them. Follow the above tips to help you keep building your career while others might stall.
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