Since it first emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, the novel Coronavirus has gone on to leave a trail of death and upheaval in all four corners of the earth.
However, while the medical implications of the virus were tragic, it’s only now that we’re coming to realize the significant psychological, fiscal, and employment ramifications of COVID.
In particular, the job losses caused by 18 months of life under Coronavirus and the ensuing lockdown and isolation restrictions placed on nations have been catastrophic.
The World Economic Forum suggests around 114 million jobs were lost globally during 2020 due to COVID - with many of those positions never to return.
As we now seem to be nearing the end of the worst of the virus and governments start scaling back furlough support, countless millions will be vying for the limited number of positions available.
If you were one of the unlucky ones that lost their job due to the virus, below are some ideas that might help you turn things around and find new employment.
Consider retraining
Due to COVID, many companies had to strip back their services or find novel solutions to keep operating, which, in turn, served to highlight many so-called ‘pointless jobs’ - ones that most definitely return post-virus.
Moreover, through scaling back, firms have streamlined, so even roles that were once apparently secure remain at risk.
If you find yourself in this bracket, to cover yourself and have the best employment opportunities, you should consider retaining in another discipline.
As automation starts to play an increasingly important role across all industries, one sure-fire career path would be in technology, programming, and computing. Other roles that are likely to remain in high demand include nursing, teaching, vets, and lawyers.
For the best future-proof jobs, you should look at roles that would be difficult for technology to replicate.
Think about working for yourself in a freelance role
If the idea of starting up a fully-fledged company sounds a little daunting, you could also consider working freelance, perhaps in delivery or shipping jobs, and companies like Shiply offer multiple courier jobs on their site, which could help you earn money.
These services also have the advantage of offering the relative security of someone else providing the work rather than you having to hunt it down yourself.
Think about starting your own company
Starting your own company during a recession might seem like madness but, in our highly uncertain world with global markets in flux, working for yourself might just offer the best security in the coming years as the world slowly recovers from the financial chaos of COVID.
The truth is, Coronavirus has made all companies of all types and sizes stop and think about how they previously operated, and very few jobs should be considered 100% safe moving forward.
When you throw in the increasing role played by computers, automation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and machine learning into the mix, employment prospects in a world post-COVID are anything but certain.
Rather than relying on another company to provide your job security, running your own firm might prove considerably more reliable.
Welcome, Guest Blogger
