Take Time to Assess – What is Next for Your Career?
Millions of people are losing their jobs during this current downturn. Over the past few weeks, over 17 million people have filed for unemployment benefits. This is an alarming number and there is fear in the marketplace. Most people, no matter how secure you may feel, have likely thought about what they would do next if impacted directly. With the unemployment rate resting at 3.5 percent in our recent past, we have been living in a candidate market. However, now there is concern that the unemployment rate could soar to 30 percent.
Even if you are still employed, life looks a bit different right now. Your day to day activities have been impacted in one way or another and being at stuck at home may have left a little time for soul searching – if you so choose. During this time of crisis, it may be wise to really think about what you want your career to look like moving forward.
This is a good opportunity to take a look in the mirror. You may have more time right now to reflect on what you really want (or less time, if you have kids in the house and you’re trying to work – understood). The reality is that you may be happy where you are and, if that is the case, you can be proactively working on your next steps. Where do you want to go within your organization and how can you communicate that to your boss? Are there any additional responsibilities or skills that interest you that could apply to your current role? How can you keep growing?
If things are missing, however, whether it’s your relationship with your boss, your work environment, your growth trajectory, or even something as simple as your commute, you may want take this time to think about different avenues and figure out what path you want to take. Maybe you like working from home and will thus seek out a permanent remote opportunity. Maybe you miss socialization and want to find a role with an engaging culture that you can dive into when the time is right.
Take a step back and do some self-reflection. What is your passion? Are you doing what you love to do? What are your goals? Write things down, make lists, talk to a family member or partner about where they see your strengths. An outside perspective can sometimes highlight things we aren’t aware of in ourselves. Reflecting on your goals and career path may just be the answer right now.
If there are local, professional groups that you have always wanted to join, now may be a good time to do it. Networking has always been a strong component in job searching and this will not change. Most of these groups have digital communities you can engage with during this time of social distancing. You also could use your free time to take an online course to advance your career, whether you apply that internally within your current organization or externally with a potential new role.
The good news is that many businesses are still hiring and are getting creative doing so. Virtual conferencing for onboarding new hires may become the new norm. With current uncertainty, many companies are putting plans in place for new hires to gear up while working at home. If you are not satisfied in your current role, there is no need to wait it out. There are many great opportunities to be had at this time, you just need to understand how to find them.
CONNECT WITH A RECRUITER
Now is a great time to connect with an executive recruiter, especially one specializing in your industry. Talk about what you’re doing, what you like, what you don’t. Bounce ideas off them to really get an idea of what you want for your future career. Pick their brain for industry trends, new opportunities they are seeing, or great companies to work for. Recruiters are still jumping on the phone to connect with companies and job candidates, and they have their fingers on the pulse of the job market.
If you have never worked with a recruiter before, Lucas Group can help. Check out our open roles, or connect with one of our recruiters today.