Reinvent your career in the time of coronavirus

Unexpected events force us to question ourselves. They can push us out of our comfort zones, and cause our priorities to shift. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the current crisis is causing some of us to rethink our careers. Reinvent your career in the time of coronavirus

Maybe you’re on furlough with more time on your hands. Maybe your job doesn’t seem very important any more. What you do know, however, is that you want to make a change.  Reinventing your career in a time of job uncertainty, when the advice is to act conservatively and not take risks, can be very difficult.

Because of this, we have put together 5 tips to reinvent your career in the time of coronavirus.

Embrace the struggle

Learn from life’s hurdles. Use productive failure as a knowledgeable asset to become successful. Struggle is what happens in the gap between where you are and where you want to be. Stick with it and on the other side you are guaranteed to find what you are looking for.

Consider all options

It can be tempting during reinvention to focus on one dream path.  But this can be limiting, and in the current crisis, it makes far more sense to try and consider all options open to you. Change is rarely as linear as we plan for.  When thinking about your future, it is good to consider various paths. Take some time to research various routes to go down and don’t get hung up on following one set road.

Reconnect with former colleagues

You might think networking, which often involves face-to-face communication, would be difficult given the current climate. How can you build relationships when you can’t attend conferences or events, when you can’t meet up for a coffee?

The answer is to do it online. Reconnect with former colleagues or contacts you used to be close to but haven’t spoken to in a few years. These people are more likely to offer constructive help than those who are too close to you. Drop them a message and get the conversation going again.

Set up realistic goals and make a plan

One of the first steps is to look at yourself and see where you want to go. What goals do you want to achieve? How will I reach these? Consider creating a career plan that will outline where you are currently, where you want to be and how you will get there. Set targets that are achievable so it does not bring frustration which could result in discouragement. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself.

Talk it out

You’re going through some major personal changes, and one of the best ways to help yourself process what you’re going through is as simple as just speaking to someone.

While this is hard to do in difficult times, getting other perspectives can be of great help.  Have a socially distanced walk-and-talk with a friend you respect. Find a career coach online, or lead a Zoom call with key friends from the industry. Don’t go through this alone.