The world has been shaken upside down with this greatest ever disaster hitting the mankind with an incomprehensible virus attack. Almost majority of sectors like apparel, automotive, travel, etc are seriously affected and are under major metamorphosis. The mayhem is certainly imminent.
It has left many of us asking us what will the future of our employment will be? Will I get my salary at the end of the month? And how about the next month? How am I going to pay salaries to my employees? How will my business survive post lockdown?
With people are seriously worried about their survival not only during lockdown but also post lockdown, the next big question is how to reinvent ourselves to survive the ‘Job-Virus’ and the serious challenges it has posed.
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We all need to survive as complaining and whining will lead us nowhere as change is only constant thing in life. By the time the COVID crisis subsides, many of us would have reinvented ourselves to survive.
How to Reinvent Yourself for your Job and Career during COVID Crisisrn1.Shield and Secure your Current JobrnThis is the best strategy of survival considering the current economic crisis. Accept the current crisis and take whatever is presented to you- full salary, or pay cuts or no increments or simply Leaves without pay. Because ‘Now’ is the most precious thing. Secure your job foremost!
2. Ask for Additional WorkrnAsk for additional work or new work in the form of either job enrichment or job loading or even job rotation. Justify your employment. Since companies are also facing grim situation and observing austerity. Job Cuts will be first line of defense for organizations. Justifying your work during such times will definitely compel companies to prefer you over others.
3. Look for Internal Opportunities with your JobrnLook for internal opportunities within your organization or within your scope of work and develop upon the same. For example, carry out technology search, data mining or new business development for internal opportunities. Come out with out of the box thinking or stretched thinking and suggest the same in your team.
4. Be more Sincere and Productive while working from homernIf you are working from home, be more productive and motivated and make your employer feel secure about your deliverables. (Also read Are you Read for Work from Home? – 5 Rules that will make you productive). Make your employer trust you and trust the fact that ‘out of sight, out of mind’ is not much of a concern in your case.
5. Add on Value to your Resume by Reskilling and Upscaling rnDo what work is being given to you and invest in upskilling and reskilling yourself while staying relevant and improving productivity.
New CertificationsrnTake on new certification and accreditations which may aid your current and future employability. You may also enroll yourself for Distance Learning or Online Management courses for example online MBA, PMP courses, CISCO Certifications etc.
Learn New TechnologiesrnLearn new technologies and leverage upon the same as “technology is the future”. For example, learning new technologies like AI solutions for your vertical or domain, augmented reality or virtual reality, 3D printing, Hyper personalization, digital psychometrics in ecommerce and digital marketing etc.
Be a part of new Digital initiatives rnWith ‘New Normal’ already in place, companies are changing in ways, they have never experienced before- specially in technological space. You may leverage this opportunity by being a part of such technological initiative or digital initiative for your department by facilitating the process of setting up of new systems for e-trainings, e-reporting, remote working, web conferencing etc. You may also help in designing and developing SOPs for regional, remote and satellite offices and teams for example.
6. Leverage on New opportunities PresentedrnWith China losing its credibility not only in India but internationally, in all sectors be it medicine and health care or food processing, some new opportunities are presented with preference for locally sourced and manufactured goods specially with India pushing for “Make in India Initiative” and new “Vocal for Local” slogan given by our Hon’ble Prime Minister in May 2020. Look proactively for opportunities presented in COVID crisis like ever growing demand for essentials, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, etc. Getting new expertise and getting trained will open up new vistas of opportunities for jobs and entrepreneurship. Gaining skills in these areas do not demand special and major qualifications or experience. Look for sectors which are ever green and have gained momentum in the ‘new normal’ and gain new expertise and skills in these sectors.
7. Consulting and Mentoring opportunitiesrnYou may leverage your domain knowledge and experience in the field of consulting and mentoring especially in MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) sector, and for startups, who are bearing the brunt of Corona crisis and want to cool off their heels. They are either struggling to continue their operations or restart altogether and might be looking for specialized skilled consultants to help them come over this. Likewise, numerous businesses will require support to beat the downturn. With imports being affected, India will be the rational choice.
8. Look for skills which will in high demand like rnCOVID-19 has completely changed the way companies work and operate. More and more companies are using digital platforms to operate and conduct their businesses. There is certainly be a boom in these job roles, sectors and skills:
Adaptability and FlexibilityrnTech Savviness and Digital literacy rnCreativity & InnovationrnData Mining and data literacy rnDigital and Coding Skills rnLeadership SkillsrnEmotional Intelligence rnLifetime Learning Skillsrn10. Revive Your Network & RelationshipsrnReconnect with your contacts from previous workplace, colleagues college friends, and other social engagements and get information or advise on new work skill, new openings, or work projects that might interest you.
We need to embrace the change, and change ourselves accordingly while understanding that Change is the only constant thing in life. The new ‘Job Virus’ has posed new threats no doubts, but it is also an opportunity for us to learn and gain an competitive advantage during this transition. Reinventing yourself is only the only way forward ahead.