The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted labor markets in ways unseen since The Great Depression. While a few select industries, mainly healthcare and technology, continued to provide job security, the majority of career sectors suffered a deep and rapid decline brought on by the pandemic and the resulting shutdown. This past year has been a roller coaster for Americans with millions of people filing for unemployment and others taking a reduction in monthly income due to having their hours cut. Though the lack of job security initially caused many Americans to strengthen their grip on their current employment, it appears that the impending end to the global pandemic has led to a change of heart. According to Prudential Financial’s Pulse of the American Worker survey, 1 in 4 workers is preparing to look for opportunities with a new employer once the pandemic threat has fully subsided. Citing reasons such as career growth and personal fulfillment, many Americans are now nervously updating those resumes with the hopes of attaining more purposeful employment. With things now changing and the job market heating up, anxiety which was once brought on by the fear of sudden career loss is now back again and affecting those who are planning to make career changes. Now that an increasing number of adults are making career changes, Miles Stroter, health and wellness speaker, has three tips to offer for making a positive and healthy career change.
- Be sure that it aligns with your passion. After the Covid pandemic, people are now realizing that they aren’t passionate about the work that they’ve been doing. Miles suggests asking yourself “If this job weren’t giving me a paycheck, would I still be interested in doing this”? All too often, we admit to the importance of a salary while overlooking our aspirations and mental health. If you find yourself torn between choosing a high-paying job or one that excites you when you wake up in the morning, do yourself a favor and select the employer that aligns with your passion. Not only will this reduce the likelihood of facing burnout, but statistically speaking, those who are passionate about their line of work will see more success in their careers than those who aren’t.
- Have a support system. Making major decisions, such as changing your career, should never be done without speaking about it with those in your inner circle. Though the final decision is ultimately up to you, be sure to take different viewpoints and perspectives into account. As a result, you’ll have support to lean on when the job searching gets difficult or even comes to a halt together. Not to mention a group of people that you can use as referrals.
- Be honest with yourself. It’s common for us to move through life on auto-pilot, never spending time to honestly explore what we really want in a career. Changing jobs because of the money or benefits won’t lead to a happier life. We thrive by exploring our strengths, motivations, likes, and dislikes. Ask yourself tough questions so that you can move forward in your transition with clarity and confidence.
Miles Stroter says that the most difficult obstacle that he’s ever faced was blindly ending his Football career in order to follow his dreams of becoming an actor. Miles wants to assure others that when you’re vigilant about maintaining healthy boundaries and prioritizing self-care, you can reduce the anxiety and stress that comes along with a major career change.