Navigate Pandemic Challenging Times Professionally or Personally

Recently most of us have experienced laying off, pay cuts or being on bench from our jobs and may be sitting at home wondering about future and hoping to land a new job quickly.

This pandemic is a once in a century Black-Swan-Event which has shown all of us many ups and downs in our personal, professional and emotional spheres of life.

The solution is not visible and handy yet, it is not as simple as someone crystal gazing and providing a panacea for this impending challenge. One needs to have immense patience, remain calm and stay focused in terms of planning and achieving short term career and life objectives.

Look at this phase of life as a godsend to pause, analyze, synthesize and plan for embarking onto a new journey in the “Post Covid Era”.

We at Mappy Global Resources constantly endeavor to provide unbiased and relevant advice to our clients and candidates in solving their complex career and talent challenges.

We are suggesting some attitudinal and behavioral must-dos to navigate the current headwinds.

Analyze and synthesize!

Adaptability and flexibility in job seekers will be a salient feature which a recruiter will be keen on finding. Apart from this, one of the best ways to prepare yourself for a post-coronavirus-world is to analyse and synthesize your strengths and weaknesses.

Do a SWOT analysis of yourself and have it reviewed by a professional senior person who can give you an unbiased and critical feedback.

One can look for measures to overcome the gaps by attending online courses or getting mentored by someone senior.

Re-skill or Up-Skill!

When faced with a tight job market, professionals with advanced and expert job skills will still be in demand and will likely struggle less to find employment. So rather than warming the sofas and beds, start updating your skills and make yourself fit for a well-deserved job.

Remember no amount of technological advancement, robotics and automation can replace human brains and capabilities!

Be optimistic!

As we continue to face the ongoing pressures associated with the pandemic surge, it is important to focus on looking towards the future with a more optimistic view. According to a few surveys and industry research papers, many CXOs are of the opinion that businesses, production and consumption will jump back to pre Covid levels by mid-2021, this will have a huge impetus on the job market and will open the throttle of new requirements.

Until then be optimistic and brace for the post Covid era full of opportunities!

Explore an Alternate Career!

With the advent of new norms in the professional world like Work-from-anywhere, Work- from-home, Virtual Offices, Flexi Weeks etc., one will have plenty of time available. It will prove suicidal not to optimally leverage this spare time to nurture and build your career and make some extra bucks.

Explore some side gigs like online teaching, blogging, freelance photography, digital marketing, enhance your writing skills, online selling etc.

Nurture a hobby!

These are excellent times to nurture and hone on your hobbies that you have kept in the backburner. Consider playing a musical instrument, practicing yoga and meditation, photography, philately, dancing, cooking etc., whatever keeps you engaged.

These activities will bring back purpose in life and ensure you are staying on course and motivated.

Stay Focused!

One needs to have a hawkish eye on one’s domain, sector and industry. Jobs are getting redundant; companies are changing business models and newer avenues of opportunities are dawning upon us. Keep a very close watch on these developments and adapt yourself to the changing tides.

Your next job move can be easier than you think!

Network, Network, Network!

I personally am a firm believer and strong proponent of Networking. It can bring manifold favorable impact to you personally and professionally. Meet new people from different fields, join group sessions on your choice of topics, connect with people who harbor hobbies and interests like yours, have a strong network of personal and professional influencers.

Networking in No 1 unwritten rule of success in Business!

Remember this too shall pass and we all will be back to normal, as Martin Luther King Jr. said “We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope”.

I’d like to conclude with one of my favourite quotes by Alvin Toffler- “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. ”

#StayFocussed, #StayMotivated, #ThisTooShallPass, #BeInspired, BeSpiritual

Do share your comments and thoughts and Godspeed to you all.

By Kamlesh Dixit (freelance management consultant) and Niyati Shah (content writer at Mappy Global Resources)