The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the Australian economy hard. It’s left hundreds of thousands of Australians out of work and many more uncertain about their future. But it’s one thing to worry about the state of the economy, and another thing to do what we can to control the controllable.
A bad knock is often a chance to step back and take a breath. It’s an opportunity to take stock and look at what options you have available to you. For so many Australians doing it tough right now, this is a chance to collect yourself for your next push into a new phase in your career.
We want to talk about what goes into upskilling for a change in career. Because that is going to be where so many Australians are going to be finding their feet in the coming months. Read on here to gain some insight into what you can do to make steps forward to a new career.
A note on mindset
The first step is realising that losing your job under conditions such as these isn’t something you should see as a personal failing. No business had the pandemic written into their plan. Businesses of all types have had to make hard decisions, and for many businesses that has included letting good people go. Now, onto what you can do about it.
Build your skills
Build your skills, because the job market is growingly specialised. While it is still possible to earn a good living as a jack of all trades, the savvy decision for most is to build their career around a fairly specialised set of skills. What this period might represent for you is a chance to check in with how you’re progressing in your skillset, and what you can be doing to advance your understanding of your field and your role within it.
Beginning even prior to the pandemic, many of the respective state governments have started providing free TAFE courses in a select range of industries – primarily to encourage more Australians into areas that need workers. These courses can also serve as a way of giving you the platform you need to take your career further. We encourage you to look to your state governments website to find out more about the sorts of courses that might be available to you.
Explore things you’re interested in
A change in career doesn’t have to be a conventional step though. Pandemic aside, it’s becoming more and more common for us to change industries multiple times over the course of our careers - and it bears thinking about that the skills and experience you have can be otherwise utilised.
Education and training is one way, but looking for ways that your skill set and experience might be applied differently is a great way to make the leap. Get creative, and don’t discount what you already know. Now is a time unlike any other in that there is only something to be gained in potentially finding a new path.
If you have an interest in another field, we encourage you to get thinking about what you can bring to that table. Diversity of knowledge and experience has a way of strengthening a team, so you might be surprised as to how effortless the jump may be!
Work with a specialist recruitment agency
Zoom is a recruitment agency that specialises in pairing thriving organisations with the talent they need to move forward. If you’ve found yourself out of work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, you can get started on the next phases of your career by getting in touch today.
Talk to the team at Zoom. We have the experience and expertise to get you up to speed on what’s happening in your target industry, and importantly, what you can do to get yourself there.
Reach out by calling 1300 762 208 or filling out a contact form today!
