How to find career amid COVID-19

Dr. Shahid Amin Trali

Career is a highly significant in one’s life. Whatever career path we choose to follow, it will impact our life greatly. Our career choices depend on a lot of things and it is important to consider all factors before choosing a better career path. This pandemic, as an unexpected event, has disrupted our habitual routines, jolted us out of our comfort zones, and raised big questions about what matters and what is worth doing.
It’s a tough time in the market as firms shed staff or freeze recruitment due to pandemic to cut their costs. Our students, who are just done with their graduation, are understandably experiencing a lot of panic and uncertainty when it comes to their career and employment prospects. Our students need to develop high motivation and understand that almost everyone has suffered during this COVID-19 crisis. Besides when students don’t know what the future will offer, or when the path they think better can take an unexpected turn, it makes sense to pursue a diverse portfolio of options rather than just sticking single-mindedly to one. Even in better times, career change is never a perfectly linear process.
It must be noted that although most of the companies in some sectors, such as hospitality, tourism and leisure, aren’t currently hiring, but students shouldn’t lose hope. There are areas like logistics, healthcare, medicine, and some retailers (particularly online retailers) who are showing prosperity and are actively looking to recruit graduates. Online job vacancies are now being posted at the highest. These are the industries our graduates should highly focus to apply for vacancies. They need to do more research and try to explore these companies.
Students need to be highly active in this tough time. They should maintain a proper plan. Most importantly, students must acquire the skills for the career optionS they are interested in. They must use this time in quarantine in the best possible way and try to be ahead than the others in the race. Students must do a proper SWOT analysis; identify personal Strengths and Weaknesses, and the Opportunities and Threats in the workplace at the moment. They must get a clear idea of which skills they need to improve. Students should also focus on building their effective Curriculum Vitae (CV). It can be possible through volunteering or developing skills in online courses. They must try to attend the related seminars and workshops that happen related to their career choice. They will meet influential people and leaders of the same field who can broaden their thinking. This will also give a hint to potential employers that student has done something constructive with his/her time.
In order to find jobs, students can directly visit the company websites and contact HR of the companies. But there are plenty of other places students can look for jobs like using recruitment agencies’ job boards. LinkedIn is also a great place to look for jobs. Our graduates must start applying as early as possible and try to explore companies as much as possible. Usually large companies have a quite rigid recruiting policy, whereas smaller companies tend to hire all year round.
This is indeed a big crisis time but our students must not stop their work and efforts. As they say, success doesn’t come overnight; students must work along the way to accomplish their goals. There is always hope if they develop right spirit and will power. Our students can easily achieve their best career goals if they are ready to face and break the challenges.