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Career during the pandemic: how to find a balance between personal life and work
Jack kelly
Founder and CEO of Compliance Search Group and Wecruiter.io
The ongoing pandemic has forced people to reconsider their working lives. Over the past year and a half, almost everyone I have spoken to, both personally and professionally, has told me that they have reconsidered their views on work and career. They doubt whether they will be able to continue in the same positions for the next five, 10 or 20 years.
There is an irresistible desire to try something new. I've noticed a tendency for people to look for roles that offer deeper meaning and serve a broader purpose. Some dream about it, while others have already started making plans. This entails the need to reinvent yourself, start over or switch to another profession.
My observation is confirmed by a recent FlexJobs survey, in which more than 4,600 employees participated. During the survey, participants were asked about their career and what they want from work. The results showed that almost 70% of respondents "would think about changing careers". The main reason for moving is to work in a field that provides an optimal work-life balance (56%). Interestingly, there were more such responses than "finding a job with a higher salary (50%)", which indicates that a high quality of life is considered more important than earning a lot of money.
Other main reasons for changing jobs and careers include a desire for a more meaningful or successful career (49%), improvement and development of a set of professional skills (43%), and a feeling of having to move due to a lack of promotion or growth opportunities in the current position (27%).
The survey participants were confident in their ability to switch. They replied that it would be "pretty easy, my skills can be passed on to other people (28%)". Some admitted that it would be difficult, but "manageable" (53%). About 20% acknowledged congenital problems and said that changing careers can be "very difficult, and I'm not sure it will work (19%)».
It's easy to answer the survey by stating that you want and will make changes. The implementation of this is a completely different story. Making big changes in your life and/or career is a big step. This is not something to be taken lightly. You need to think carefully about this move. Do not immediately jump into the deep part of the pool. Feel the water first.
Think carefully about what you really want to do next. Be realistic and honest with yourself. Do a self-assessment to find out if you have enough mental and emotional strength and stamina to start over. It is important to understand that this may not be easy. The journey will be accompanied by stress and uncertainty.
Switching may require you to leave behind a good and secure job and career. Your personality is most likely related to your position, and you will lose the social status associated with it. Family, friends and colleagues will look at you differently and wonder what's wrong with you. Because they are afraid to try something new and interesting, they will think that you are running away.
Find out how long it will take to move on to a new career, job or profession. It would be helpful if you could keep your current position when starting a new business, enterprise or job. Make sure that you have accumulated enough funds to bridge the gap between your current job and the new field of activity that you are trying to penetrate, since initially you may receive less income.
Exercise due diligence with respect to the job, profession, or business you want to do. Make sure that your new employment will financially justify the changes that have taken place, and that there is a reliable potential for growth.
Find people who are currently engaged in the profession you want to pursue. Find a mentor who can give advice and guidance. For example, if you want to stop being a lawyer and become a businessman, talk to as many businessmen in your area as possible. You need to prepare well before you make the jump.
Don't push yourself too hard. Allocate a reasonable amount of time to achieve your goal. If circumstances require mastering a new profession, it may take several years. Once you move into a new space, you probably won't be able to earn as much at first as you did before.
Over time, your financial situation will improve significantly. You will gain more experience and start a new career. Because you are highly motivated to change, you will probably work harder. You will be happy, excited and interested in this new endeavor. People will notice it, and you will move forward quickly.
If you find that this new job or profession is not what you thought, you can always go back to your previous profession or try something else. Once you get a taste for risk, it will be easier for you to do it again. As long as you are confident in yourself, you can keep trying until you find something that makes you happy, fulfilled and makes you look forward to the new opportunities that each new day brings.
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