A Career That Won’t Stop in a Pandemic
The pandemic has certainly brought with it a lot of unease and worry for employees. The initial furlough scheme meant that many people were being paid for not working, which seemed like a great thing to begin with. However, with the scheme ending many businesses had to make staff redundant. Employees who have been negatively affected by the pandemic are looking to future-proof their careers, and what better way to do that by becoming a qualified Assessor?
Rise in Technology
With businesses having to adapt to new digital technologies, this also means that some job roles will have changed. Evolving skill requirements only makes it harder for many people to rejoin companies, even if the economy does recover. There is also the looming fear of future job cuts that are a constant worry for those who are lucky enough to still be employed. In the 2008 recession, long-term employment remained high for years and this is something that is in the back of many people’s minds.
Become an Assessor
We have already looked into why a new career in lockdown is the best way to expand your horizons. There has never been a better time to try something new and work in an industry that is rewarding and challenging at the same time. The one real advantage of becoming an Assessor is that as qualifications will always exist, there will always be a need for people to assess them.
Once you have gained the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (CAVA), you will be a fully qualified Assessor. This means that you will be able to assess learners both within their workplace (COVID-dependant!) and in their learning environments (virtually for now).
Career Options
There are lots of different career paths you can go down once you become a newly qualified Assessor. You could begin by shadowing an experienced Assessor before you go solo in order to get some experience under your belt. Alternatively, you could look into making yourself an even better prospect to potential employers by becoming an End-Point Assessor. Better still, you could take your next step in professional development with the Level 3 Award in Education and Training. This is the first step towards becoming a teacher in adult education, which again is a pandemic-proof career.
Going Freelance
If you are happy with just becoming an Assessor, and don’t fancy any extra studying there is also the option to become a freelance Assessor. This means that you will have ultimate control of your career, and the freedom to do exactly what you want. Some freelance positions are short-term, and are designed to cover holidays or maternity leave, but others can be longer-term. Even just getting a foot in the door to begin with is a good start, particularly given the current situation.
If you would like any more information on how to become an Assessor and pandemic-proof your career, please contact the team at Brooks and Kirk and we will be more than happy to help. Call us on 01205 805 155 or email training@brooksandkirk.co.uk.
Steve is a Chartered Manager and a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.
He provides Educational Consultancy to the 19+ sector as well as being an Assessor, IQA, EPA and Digital Marketing Professional. When not doing any of these he finds time, every now and then, to write blogs and articles.