A New Career in Lockdown
Losing your job can be devastating enough, let alone when it happens in the middle of a global pandemic. We are hearing many stories of people being furloughed at the start of the pandemic, and then finding out months later that they have been made redundant overnight. The important thing to remember if you find yourself in this awful situation is that you are not to blame. You haven’t been made redundant because of anything you have done, it is just as a result of the awful situation that we are living through at the moment.
Turning it into a positive
Getting a new job during lockdown may not be possible, so you might want to expand your horizons slightly. Have you ever wanted to completely change your career and become an Assessor, for example? Now is the perfect opportunity to retrain for a new career while you have some spare time on your hands. Did you know that there is also the option to become a freelance Assessor as well as a full-time Assessor? That would give you even more freedom as you would be your own boss.
Pandemic resilient careers
The best thing about becoming an Assessor is that you have a lot of options. For example, it is quite easy to make horizontal career moves. Once you have gained the CAVA qualification and also have occupational competence, you can assess within an industry you choose.
Teaching and tutoring, along with jobs in the medical & social care industries are said to be the most resilient industries at the moment. There is always a need for Assessors within Health & Social care, and there are always going to be learners going through apprentices who need assessing. Whether you are looking to become an NVQ Assessor or an End-Point Assessor, both options offer a fairly high level of job security moving forward.
You have the time now
Learning and training are often put on the back burner in our everyday lives. By the time you have finished a long day at work, the last thing you want to be doing is spending your evenings studying. Rather than burying your head in the sand following a redundancy, try and put a positive spin on it. Now is the opportunity you have to invest some time in yourself. Work out what you really want from your career, and start training for a new career. You might not ever get a chance like this again, so grab it with both hands and transform your life.
Tips if you are considering a career change
It may seem very daunting looking into the future of your career during such turbulent times. However, it can be really helpful to reassess your career goals and work out exactly where you want to be in 5 years time. The pandemic has taken away many things for us, but one thing it has given us is time. Time to reflect on what is really important in life, and what we want out of life. Here are some top tips for those considering a career change:
1. Think outside the box
Rather than just researching job opportunities within your current field, now could be the time to do something completely different. Is there a job or role you have always wanted to do but not been qualified for? Or do you need to add to your CPD record in order to make yourself a more attractive prospect for potential employers? With all this time on your hands, start learning today!
2. Set yourself a personal mission
It can be easy to lose motivation when you are looking for a new role, and knowing where to start researching can also pose a challenge. The best way to narrow down your search is to think about what you really want from your career. Do you want to make an impact on people’s lives by becoming an Assessor? Or do you want to improve your knowledge, skills and behaviours? Once you have worked out your mission, you can start to see what roles align with this.
3. Embrace the unknown
Look, we know this is easier said than done (particularly for those of us who are not risk-takers). Define what success looks like for you, and not just when it comes to a career. What really sets the fire going inside you? What things challenge and motivate you? Sometimes these feelings are more important than how much money you take away at the end of the month. A rewarding job can make a much bigger impact on your life.
We hope this has helped to give you some ideas and motivation if you are looking for a new career in lockdown. The team at Brooks and Kirk are still contactable over the next month, so if you have any questions about any of our courses please call us on 01205 805 155.
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.