The Best Steps to Take After Losing Your Job Due to Covid-19

Losing your job at any point in your career is an extremely distressing experience. You may not know what to do next or what path will now appeal to you. This event can leave you doubting your skills and wondering if you made a mistake pursuing that path you were on. Rest assured, however, that none of these doubts are likely true. Covid-19 has disrupted every industry of work and the results have been brutal for every field of work.

In fact, Business Insider recently covered how a third of people who lost their jobs due to Covid-19 lost them again after diving back into the workforce. This is directly caused by the fact that the disruption is not yet over. Covid-19 has caused remote work and is changing the way business is being conducted around the world. Technology is being relied on heavily as a result, which means tech-based jobs are now being seen as more useful than traditional jobs. To that end, there are a few key steps you can take now after losing your job due to Covid-19 which will set you up for a new career in the future.

Research, Research, and More Research

At the end of the day, disruption means that the future isn’t going to look like the present. Regardless of the industry, you were in, it’s more likely than not that the job you were in will use a different set of skills in the next decade than it does now. Preparing for this inevitability by researching the current trends of the times can help you foresee which skills will be key to the future of work.

Even if there was no major disruption occurring in the workforce, taking the time to refine your skills after losing your job is always a good idea. For perspective, learning Python has been key to opening the door to numerous jobs in software development for many people around the world. This is just one single skill that took off in the last few years, yet its importance cannot possibly be overstated.

Identifying these trends now can help you figure out which skill you should focus on developing or perhaps even which career you should now consider entering. Do this research by staying relevant on social media platforms and watching what younger generations are studying. This can help you to spot trends earlier on before they become too saturated with people pursuing them.

Gain More Education

It’s extremely important to always recognize that you are not the smartest person in the world and can always learn more. Regardless of the industry you were in, picking up some new skills now will help you to possibly launch a career in an entirely new field. Fortunately, technology has made education readily available for all in new ways.

Trade schools are a fantastic way of developing the skills needed to relaunch your career. Unlike traditional forms of education, trade schools use specialized courses to train students in a specific career path. This accelerated learning saves both time and money for the student, given that some schools such as Flatiron School offer deferred tuition and learners can graduate within a year.

With this in mind, don’t be afraid of attending such a unique form of an educational institution. Reports show that trade school attendance is even beginning to rival that of colleges or universities, which goes to show just what a popular option this is, especially for anyone who lost their job and needs to change careers quickly.

Brush Up Your Interview Resources

The interview process constantly changes and recruiters are looking for new skills all the time. Really take the time to consider brushing up your interview skills and getting your cover letter as well as resume updated. If you managed to maintain good relations with your previous employer, even go as far as to ask for a letter of recommendation. Even though you may have been fired from your old job due to Covid-19, there’s no reason not to use the connections you managed to develop over that time period.

Conclusion

No matter how you look at it, the future of work is changing. Choosing to immediately dive back into the workforce while it is currently in flux will likely result in you being part of that one-third of employees who get laid off again. Take the time you now have on your hands to update your skills and prepare yourself for the future of work while you still can. Your competition will not take the same care as you upon losing their jobs, so taking the time to develop a new skillset now can go a long way in setting you apart from that competition.